Montesarchio is one of the most important towns in the Caudina Valley. The name probably derives from Mons Arcis, referring to the existence on the hill of a fortified structure consisting of a cylindrical tower, present perhaps as early as Samnite times. During the Roman period the town of Caudium represented an obligatory stop along the Appian Way from Rome to Brindisi. The town is famous for the Battle of the Caudine Forks (Second Samnite War) in which the Romans were defeated by the Samnites and forced to suffer the punishment of the Caudine Forks.
The Assteas Vase, also known as the Assteas Crater, is an ancient Greek red-figure vase dating from the Classical period of the fifth century BCE. This vase is famous for its depiction of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology, the myth of the Rape of Europa. The vase was found in the Samnite necropolis of Sant’Agata dei Goti, in the province of Benevento, by a worker during some work on the sewer system in the 1970s. After being sold by the worker on the black market for a million lira and a piggyback, it passed through the antiques market and in 1981 was purchased by the Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, California, for $380,000. In 2005, the crater was finally returned to Italy thanks to complex investigations conducted by the Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale; since then it has been on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Paestum and housed in prestigious venues, such as the Quirinal Palace and UNESCO in Paris, and then for a few months also in Sant’Agata dei Goti. Today it is possible to permanently admire the famous Assteas crater in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale Caudino in Montesarchio.
It is really hard not to be fascinated by the sight of Sant’Agata de’ Goti, with its bell towers and tiled domes standing out against the houses and palaces lined up and perched above a tuff cliff. The territory of Sant’Agata de’ Goti is traversed in part by the Carolino Aqueduct (a UNESCO heritage site), which runs, mostly underground, for a length of about 38 kilometers to reach the Royal Palace of Caserta. From the locality of Longano, in the municipality of Sant’Agata de’Goti, traveling about 5 kilometers and admiring some “torrini,” one reaches the third order of arches of the “Ponti di Valle,” the visible and most famous part of the aqueduct. Typical products of excellence include Mela Annurca, called by many the queen of apples, Falanghina and Aglianico wines and extra virgin olive oil. Local products are then used to make ‘nfrennule, tarallucci with a unique texture and flavor.
