Caserta Vecchia, Italy Walking Tour - 4K - with Captions!
Welcome to Casertavecchia, in Campania Italy. We’re 400m (1,312ft) above sea level to explore this medieval village, famous for its cathedral and ruined castle. We began at the old church, the 17th century Chapel of St Rocco, apparently open to the public just one day a year. That day is St Rocco’s day- the 16th of August.
Through the gate some of the frescoes can be seen year-round, but enthusiasts will need to plan ahead to really appreciate the interior. Down there is the city of Caserta, home to 76,000 people and the famous Royal Palace where the Kings of Naples once ruled from. The growth of Caserta spelled the end for Casertavecchia’s importance, which was once enough to have its own bishop.
The population moved down from the cramped village in the 16th century, sacrificing that lovely view of Versuvius and the plains below. The original Roman settlement in this area was called ‘Casa Irta’ meaning “home village located above” After the population moved to the plains below, this town took on a new name, Casertavecchia, which means Old Caserta. The town's early history was chronicled by Erchempert, a Benedictine monk, who claims this hilltop town was founded in 861 AD.
Of his work- The History of the Lombards living in Benevento - only one medieval manuscript survives, and this suddenly stops in the winter of 888-889. The Roman village was later conquered and ruled by a Germanic tribe known as the Lombards. After the attacks by Saracen pirates, the city's defenses were rebuilt by the Normans around 1062 AD. It’s under Norman rule that the cathedral was built, but first we will visit a smaller church. Chiesa dell'Annunziata translates as Church of the Annunciation.
The annunciation was Gabriel’s’ announcement to Mary that she would have a son by virgin birth, and the son would be The Messiah. The church is in the Gothic style, characterised by pointy doorframes and windows, though the stone façade we saw on the way in is Baroque. The church was Restored in 1995, and has many religious frescos hiding beneath the plaster, including one depicting Mary and the infant Jesus. This is to protect the art from further damage. Similar steps were taken to protect artwork during the periods of Byzantine iconoclasm between 726 and 842 AD. Iconoclasm, Greek for "icon smashing," is the belief in the destruction of icons and other images or monuments, most frequently for religious or political reasons.
During the Saracen attacks, the Byzantines were slow to help while the Pope rapidly sent support. This was just one factor that lead to the decline in Byzantine power in southern Italy. In 813 Duke Anthimus of Naples refused to help Emperor Leo V against Saracen pirates and in 840 Duke Sergius I made the dukedom hereditary. This removed the power of the Byzantine emperor over the duke, and created the Dutchy of Naples. It was in this context that the town was founded, according to Erchempert, in 861 AD.
Casertavecchia sits on an outcrop, which made it easily defendable and thus strategically important in the region. I came here with my wife and kids a couple weeks earlier and this was our favorite spot in the city. I think it was the red shoes that did it. :)
The first known bishop of Caserta was Ranulfo who was elected around 1113, and on his orders construction of a cathedral was began. Work continued under the next two bishops, until it was completed in 1153. Here it is, or the south wall anyway. Look up for the spectacular dome which blends together many architectural influences, from the Byzantine east, Moorish Spain and north-west Europe
This bell tower is 34m (111ft) tall and was completed in 1234, in Norman Romanesque, similar to that of the Cathedral. The thin columns topped by double arches above the gateway are of typical Arabic design, incorporated into Norman architecture through their travels. Through the arch is the town square, where the façade of the Church of saint Michael the Archangel will be revealed. This square is a prime example of Norman architecture, a style with influences from all over the Mediterranean and France.
Together the cathedral and tower make a underappreciated Norman masterpiece, with less history but perhaps more merit than the Tower of London. The statues depict animals associated with Christian faith, typical of Lombard master carvers and influenced by classical Roman sculptures. This is a baptism basin probably from the 4th century, and the wall behind shows the Archangel Michael after whom this Cathedral is named. The Cathedral has a Latin cross plan, with three naves divided by 18 columns. As is often the case, the columns inside the church were taken from an even older Roman buildings now lost to history.
This is the reason why the columns differ from one another. The interior of the church is unadorned because of the restoration work carried out at the beginning of the 20th century . The aim of the restoration was the rid the church of the Baroque construction and restore it to its original medieval appearance. Above the altar hangs a 16th century wooden crucifix. There are two tombs, one on each side of the transept.
This one belongs to bishop Giacomo Martini, b.1426 d.1462. The tomb on the other side belongs to count Francesco Della Ratta, 1318 - 1359. This is the tomb of Francesco de La Rath (d. 1399), Count of Caserta and minor military leader who opposed usurper Charles III of Naples Charles had invaded Naples, detained and strangled Queen Joanna I, and laid siege to the Pope at Nocera before leaving to similarly usurp Queen Mary of Hungary. Greedy Charlie was no match for Mary’s mum Elizabeth of Bosnia though, who had him assassinated and Mary restored. From here you can get a clear view of the differences in the columns.
This baptismal basin dates back to the 4th century. This view faces northeast, towards the hills of central Italy. Here we see the dome of the Cathedral’s small chapel, a miniature of the main dome seen from the side street earlier. The cathedral is open from 9:00 - 13:00 and 15:30 - 18:00 on weekdays, then 8:00 – 12:00 and again from 16:00 – 20:00 on holidays. Entry is free. The street plan has remained unchanged since the medieval period, and many of the buildings date from this time too.
This gives the village charm, but makes life difficult for residents as parking is extremely limited and many cars are simply too big for most streets. Also, while there are many restaurants, they are targeted at tourists and so can be fairly expensive. According to a 2011 census, the population of the town is just 240.
This is an increase of 53 from 2001, though 30% are over the age of 60. Below us is the city of Caserta, where there are far more people- about 75,000. Caserta was the seat of the Supreme Allied Commander during the allied invasion of Italy in 1944. Sir Harold Alexander replaced Sir Henry Wilson in 1944, who was replaced by Sir William Morgan from 1945-47 at which point the position was abolished I stopped and talked with this guy for a while. I bought three different hand carved kitchen utensils used for cooking and serving pasta. Caserta also saw the first Allied war trial, at which German General Anton Dostler was found guilty of war crimes.
Dostler was executed by firing squad in nearby Aversa. I have a couple different walks of Aversa on my channel. Casertavecchia has also seen its fair share of war over the years. It was conquered by the Spanish house of Aragon in 1442 which marked the start of its long decline to a tourist hotspot. On the 1st of October 1860 the battle of Volturno occurred nearby, pitching the troops of revolutionary Garibaldi against Francis II King of the two Sicilies.
Garibaldi lost the battle, the largest he would fight on his way to unifying the country. The Bourbon king was unable to use the victory to take Naples however, and lost 3,000 troops. The King’s generals decided to regroup rather than attack again, and Garibaldi used the break to get more soldiers from north Italy. Here is some more Roman thievery. What would medieval Italians have done without them! Though the nation wasn’t fully unified until 1870, on the 17th of March 1861 Victor Emmanuel was declared King of Italy by Parliament.
We are now at the Castello di Caserta Vecchia, the last stop on our tour. The structure consisted of four watchtowers in the four hinges, and represented a safe bulwark against any type of enemy attack attempt. Both the main building and the 30m (98ft) mastio were built during the Norman period of the city’s history, around 879 AD. Mastio means lookout tower or keep in English, and I’m told this is one of Europe’s biggest. It’s ruinous state reflects the decline in importance the town suffered from the 1440’s.
The castle was repaired and the town revived in 1486 when Caterina Della Ratta of the Count’s family married Cesare d’Aragona, son of Ferdinand II of Aragon. This is the Ferdinand who married Queen Isabella of Castile, who’s joined kingdoms created Spain, Europe’s wealthiest nation. A good match then. The couple died heirless though, so in 1504 the title reverted to the monarch of Aragon, who gave it to another family.
Count Giulio Antonio Acquaviva (1578-1596) built a grand new family house in the plain where a new city was taking shape. The Bishop stayed here though. In 1635, ownership changed families again, this time to the Caetani. In a case of aristocratic asset stripping, the Caetani sold the county of Caserta to Maria Amalia of Saxony, wife of king Charles II of Napes and Sicily. On the left here is the castles bathhouse, the only original part of the castle whose initial function I’ve been able to verify.
J. Caskey (1999) thinks it may have had a similar dome to the cathedrals chapel, and the Roman bath hoses of old. It would fit the scale of the Mastio The new owners of Caserta cared little for an old town on the hill when their new city of Caserta was booming. Casertavecchia became a relic of the medieval past and signified the messy feudal system of local lords and counts now replaced by kings and early capitalism.
In 1842 Pope Gregory XVI moved both the cathedral and the bishop to Caserta, stripping the historic city of its remaining status and relevance. The ancient cathedral was downgraded to a parish and entrusted to some a tiny Franciscan monastery. Finally, in 1960, Italian President Giovanni Gronchi declared the whole city a national monument, ensuring its preservation.
Now you and your descendants can enjoy its history, aesthetics, and location- unlike anyone who lived here in the past due to wars and general filthiness. If you visit in late August/early September you may also see the theatrical and musical festival "Settembre al Borgo," again unlike the ancients as it began in 1970 Thanks for watching this tour of Caserta Vecchia! Please be sure to subscribe to the channel and like this video. This really helps out my channel. Grazie!
2021-08-24 11:03
