BENEVENTO CIVITAS

Benevento has been selected by Roberto Amati in relation to the real history of european integration, then enlisted in the CITY OR CIVITAS category, accompanied by own fact SHEET useful to the comprehension, completed of historical MAPS AND IMAGES or with a direct linking to the related Blog contents dedicated to the the aeternitas and the future of Europe.

Benevento is one of the most ancient cities of the history of European integration, signed in great part by Christianity. It was founded by Samnites people and named Maleventum, either supposed around XIII century B.C. under the greek hero Diomedes after the Trojan War. Deep influenced by ancient Greeks, before to be conquered by Romans in the III century B.C. and transformed in a strategic militar point of the Roman Respublica: so Civitas Benevento became a Latins Colonia reinforced many times and renamed with the title Julia Augusta Concordia Felix Beneventum. Why Benevento changed name from Maleventum? In memory of the lucky successful battles of Romans against the local tribes ('Bene' means good in Latin). Grown up as one of the most opulent and flourishing cities of ancient Italy, it was a central trading centre on the way to East put at the crossing of the Traiana way, going to Bari and reaching the port of Brindisi, and towards the same civitas arrival point of the Ancient Appia way coming from Rome.

Within the reform of Augustus (see Roman Empire), Benevento was included into the Regio II Apulia et Calabria of the Italiae province, where could live together Romans, Samnites and Greeks people into the Christian community that with the reform of Constantine I (see Christian Empire) became a bishopric city within the imperial Italiae Diocesis. When the Western Roman Empire imploded in 476 A.D., Benevento was devastated by Ostrogoths and after the Gothic War was conquered by Lomabrds becoming part of their Regna Longobardorum.

In 571 A.D. the city became capital of the Ducatum Beneventum, elevated as Principatum within the carolingian Regnum Italiae and joined in X century A.D. to the County of Capua, ruled by Lombards families. Always opposed to the Byzantine Empire and the Reich emperors, Benevento was conquered by the Normans family of Hauteville (called by the Roman Church) and joined in 1156 A.D. to the Regnum Sicily keep following its destiny. The ancient Christian community of Benevento, including Jewish people since the V century A.D., was elevated to seat of archibishopric in 1053 A.D. and remained close to papacy's temporal powers until the papal possession were abolished by Napoleon I, while Jewish had been definitely exepelled in 1630 A.D..

The main Santa Sofia church is included in a group of seven historic building named "Longobards in Italy, Places of Power" enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage. Nowadays, Benevento is a medium size town in the Campania region in south of Italy, whose patron is St. Bartholomew, one of the twelve Apostle of Jesus Christ.

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