Faicchio, ancient walls
The walls were erected by the Samnites who inhabited the region, and scholars have dated them between the 6th and 7th centuries BC; but the earliest settlements in the territory of the Mountain Community of Titerno date back to the Neolithic period, favored by the abundance of water, vegetation, and animal life. The archaeological finds that are now preserved and exhibited in the Sannio museum in Benevento retrace the stages of the evolutionary process of man from when he, a nomad and hunter, following waterways, reached the Titerno valley. The remains of stilt villages and the discovery of necropolises, pottery finds, and tools clearly trace the path of man through his various phases, from the Neolithic era to the Bronze Age, from the Iron Age to the time of the founding of Rome.
Of Roman age are both the aqueduct of Fabio Massimo, from the 3rd century BC, still functioning; and the “Ponte dell’Occhio” (“Eye Bridge”), a humpbacked bridge resting on polygonal pillars, which was built over the Titerno river to facilitate communications between the populations of Matese and those of Monte Erbano.
Maples, lindens, beeches, oaks, ashes, and medicinal plants characterize the area, covering the slopes of the surrounding mountains. The karst phenomenon manifests on the clayey and dry ground with a rare and magnificent example of “polje” similar to those of the Matese massif, creating a pit a kilometer long with a flat bottom devoid of vegetation, called the Monk’s Field, which remains enclosed between Monte Monaco di Gioia and Monte Erbano.
The Titerno River
Along the Titerno river, at the foot of the Monte Monaco di Gioia, on the summit of a tuff block lies Faicchio, the ancient Faìfola, rising with its ducal Castle that towers above the houses perched on the small hill. The town was originally inhabited by the Pentri Samnites, skilled traders and good craftsmen, and warlike enough to conquer all the tribes of Campania and Basilicata; the minting of copper coins favored the rapid economic development of the Samnite civilization, which soon became a real threat to the Romans. The threat of this excessive territorial expansion soon led to battle with Rome, which restored its power by defeating them and forcing their flight. Alternating events and continuous submissions lead to the medieval period, when the Ducal Castle became a center for the community, which began to develop its houses and activities around the feudal lord’s residence.
1151 is the certain chronological reference to which the manor is traced, with ownership in the name of the First Count of Cerreto Guglielmo I Sanframondo; the structure is today in excellent condition thanks to restoration work carried out by the current owner, lawyer Umberto Fragola. But the first renovations of the castle date back to 1479 by the hand of the Duke of Maddaloni, followed in 1612 by restorations commissioned by Gabriele de Martino. This is confirmed by the plaque placed on the entrance portal. The structure then withstood the terrible earthquake that had Venafro as its epicenter and almost destroyed Faicchio on June 5, 1688, on Pentecost day. The castle has four cylindrical towers at the corners, a large partially porticoed courtyard, the hall of weapons and armors, the trapdoors, the prison cell, the rooms with the original eighteenth-century furnishings and was headquarters for the Free Faculty of Tourism Sciences; some rooms, those that once were the guardhouse, are still used for receptions, and a hotel, the Albergo dei Duchi, operated until a few years ago. The building is highly evocative and will immediately lead the imagination to times when chivalry and conspiracies walked hand in hand, and while the Duke exercised his right of “prima noctis”, wolves, ghosts, and storms disturbed the nights.
