Area archeologica di Civitelle - Santuario italico di Ercole

On the northern slopes of the Matese above Campochiaro, the Civitelle site preserves an Italic sanctuary dedicated to Hercules. Terraces faced with polygonal masonry, a long porticoed building and a later Ionic temple mark successive phases of worship.

Why it matters

The sanctuary was an important cult centre of the Pentri, the Samnite people of the nearby Bojano plain. At about 800 metres above sea level, its location connected mountain routes with the plain below.

What to notice

Polygonal masonry walls enclose the terraces; the visible remains can be followed for about 500 metres. The sacred area had entrances to the west and east. A long porticoed building occupied the lower terrace. On the upper terrace stood an Ionic temple with a single cella, built in the second half of the 2nd century BC. Changes in masonry preserve evidence of rebuilding after an earthquake.

Context and history

Archaeological presence on the hill dates to the 7th and 6th centuries BC. In the 4th century BC, the site was organized across two terraces bounded by polygonal walls. An earthquake early in the 3rd century BC destroyed much of the complex, including the western entrance, and rebuilding followed. The Ionic temple was added in the second half of the 2nd century BC. Worship continued into the early centuries of the Roman Empire before the sanctuary was abandoned.