Rocca dei Rettori

Now housing the Museum of the Samnium, Rocca dei Rettori fortress has origins dating back to prehistoric times, with a Samnite necropolis (7th-6th century BC) and Roman baths later built on-site. The Lombards fortified the area, adding the Big Tower (Torrione), and an 8th-century Benedictine monastery was later merged into a castle under Duke Arechis II. By 1321, Pope John XXII restored it as a papal residence, and in 1586, it became a prison until 1865.

Perched on Benevento’s highest point, the Rocca consists of two main structures. The Big Tower (Torrione) is a 28-meter Lombard-built tower, modified over centuries, featuring Roman wall fragments, ogival double windows, and turrets. The Palazzo dei Governatori Pontifici is a three-floor palace with barbicans, framed windows, a colonnade, and 18th-century wooden ceilings. The lowest floor housed prison cells, while the upper halls boast elaborate decorations.

The rear garden contains Roman ruins, including slabs from the Via Traiana. A 1640 Lion Monument honoring Pope Urban VIII stands at the entrance, featuring a medieval lion atop an octagonal Roman pedestal.

Address
Piazza Castello 2, Benevento, Italy

Established
14th century