What is Venafro known for?

The native Aurino cultivar gave Pliny's pick for the best oil in the Empire; Venafro still presses it today. Pandone-family castle with a sixteenth-century cycle of equestrian frescoes, including the Sala del Cavallo di Carlo V. Founded as Colonia Augusta Julia Venafrum, with amphitheatre, theatre, and aqueduct remains in and around the old town.

Venafro is a comune in the province of Isernia, Molise region of Italy, about 100 kilometers from Napoli.

Molise · Isernia

Venafro

A 222-meter town near the Lazio border where Augustus founded a colony and Pliny called the olive oil the best in the Roman Empire.

100 km / 62 mi

Nearest hub (Napoli)

10,852

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Venafro liesin the lower Volturno valley, on the road between Cassino and Isernia, near the Lazio border. Augustus founded a colony here, Colonia Augusta Julia Venafrum, and the surrounding hills produced what Pliny the Elder called the best olive oil in the Roman Empire; the native cultivar, Aurino, still grows in the groves around the town. Horace praised the place as a resort. Until 1863 Venafro belonged to the Terra di Lavoro and the province of Caserta, was reassigned to Campobasso, and joined the new Isernia province only in 1970. The Castello Pandone rises at the high point of the centro storico, with a sixteenth-century cycle of equestrian frescoes covering the noble rooms, including the Sala del Cavallo di Carlo V, and the gallery of the racehorses. The Basilica di San Nicandro and the convent that hosted the young Padre Pio in the early 1900s anchor the lower town. Venafro carries Parco Nazionale and Città dell'Olio marks.

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Gallery

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Known for

Castello Pandone
Hilltop castle of the Pandone family from the fifteenth century, with sixteenth-century equestrian frescoes and the Sala del Cavallo di Carlo V.
Basilica di San Nicandro
Town basilica with attached convent, where Padre Pio stayed for medical treatment in the early twentieth century.
Centro storico
Old town said to hold 33 churches between Roman remains and medieval walls, climbing toward the Pandone castle.
Anfiteatro Romano e Teatro
Roman amphitheatre and theatre from the Colonia Augusta Julia Venafrum, partially excavated below the modern town.
Acquedotto Augusteo
Surviving stretches of the Augustan aqueduct that supplied the Roman colony and gave Pliny his praise for the local waters.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through October is the working season. Spring brings the Volturno valley back into colour and the Pandone castle's outdoor rooms back into use. June and September are the steadiest months for walking the centro storico. July and August touch the high thirties in the valley and the old town empties between two and five. The olive harvest fills October and early November and the new Aurino oil starts pressing in the surrounding mills; the Festa dei Santi Nicandro, Marciano e Daria runs through June with processions and fireworks. Winter is quiet, with valley fog and many restaurants on reduced hours.