Casertavecchia

A well-preserved medieval hilltop village above the modern city, with a Romanesque cathedral, stone lanes, and wide views over the plain.

Casertavecchia sits about 10 kilometres from the Reggia, reached by a winding road that climbs into the hills above the city. The contrast with the Bourbon grandeur below is stark: here are narrow stone lanes, archways, and the quiet of a village that has changed little in centuries. The views over the Campanian plain and towards Vesuvius are excellent on a clear day.

The village centres on its Romanesque cathedral and the ruined Norman castle keep above it. A handful of restaurants and cafes serve the steady stream of visitors, particularly busy on summer evenings when locals from the hot city come up to eat in the cooler air. It makes a natural pairing with a morning at the Reggia — drive up in the afternoon and stay for dinner.

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A story
Casertavecchia was the original settlement here, established in the 8th or 9th century on a spur of the Tifatini hills above the plain. When the Bourbon court moved to the new palace on the flatlands in the 18th century, the old town was largely left behind — which is precisely what preserved it. Today its medieval fabric is almost entirely intact, a rare survival in Campania.

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