Castel Volturno, Italy

Castel Volturno, Italy

Castel Volturno Italy

Castel Volturno is a historic town in southern Italy that originated as an Oscan settlement and was later occupied by the Etruscans, who called it Volturnum. It served as a trading point on the route to Casilinum and Capua. Volturnum became a Roman colony in 194 BC and, in 95 AD, it was reached by the Via Domitiana and equipped with a large bridge connecting the two banks of the Volturno River. The town declined after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. In 806, Duke Grimoald I of Benevento granted its port to the abbots of Montecassino. In 841 it was ravaged by Saracens. After 856, the Lombard bishop Radipert built a castle on the remains of the bridge. After a period under local counts, it was again granted to Montecassino in 1062, and in 1206 Emperor Frederick II donated it to the archbishops of Capua. Alfonso V of Naples later gave Castel Volturno to his daughter, but in 1460 her husband, Duke Marino of Sessa, rebelled, besieged the town, and destroyed part of its walls. The following year, the king sold it to the city of Capua, which held it until the abolition of feudalism in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1810. In 1812 Castel Volturno became an autonomous municipality, and in 1860 it was annexed to the newly unified Kingdom of Italy. In the 20th century, Castel Volturno’s agricultural activities expanded, especially after nearby marshy lands were drained during the Fascist era. The construction of the new Domiziana Road and a new bridge in 1954 further boosted its development and connectivity.
Recommended airport
Capodichino (NAP)
Nearby destinations
  • Naples a 32.13 km
  • Ischia Island a 31.17 km
  • Caserta a 33.02 km