Campania · Caserta
Sessa Aurunca
Ancient Suessa Aurunca on the south slope of an extinct volcano, with a Romanesque cathedral of Cosmatesque mosaics built in 1103.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 1 h 12 min from Naples
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 20,209
Known for
ROMANESQUE CATHEDRAL
Built 1103-1113 with twelve antique columns, Cosmatesque ambon and Easter candelabrum, one of the major Romanesque cathedrals in Campania.
ROMAN THEATER
First-century theater on the slope below the cathedral, one of the largest in southern Italy, restored after 2000 excavations.
AURUNCI OLIVE OIL
Terre Aurunche DOP olive groves on the volcanic slopes of Roccamonfina; the commune is part of the Città dell'Olio network.
OLIVA DI GAETA
The commune also lies inside the Oliva di Gaeta DOP production zone.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J12°
- F14°
- M15°
- A18°
- M22°
- J27°
- J31°
- A31°
- S27°
- O22°
- N17°
- D13°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: papa Leone IX, 8 May
Why come
Sessa Aurunca sits on the southwest slope of the extinct volcano Roccamonfina, between the Garigliano river and the Aurunci hills, forty kilometers west-northwest of Caserta. The Aurunci, the Italic people who held this land before Rome, gave the town its name; the Latin colony of Suessa Aurunca was founded here in 313 BC on the road between Capua and Rome. The Roman theater on the slope below the cathedral is one of the largest in southern Italy, with stage decoration found in the 2000s excavations now on display in the Castello Ducale.
The Cattedrale dei Santi Pietro e Paolo was built in 1103 over an Augustan-era temple, with twelve antique columns in the nave, an ambon and Easter candelabrum covered in Cosmatesque marble inlay, and a Byzantine-influenced apse. The commune is Città dell'Olio for the Aurunci olive groves, Città del Tartufo for the truffles of the Roccamonfina foothills, and lies on the Via Francigena del Sud between Rome and Brindisi.
The Sunday letter
Sessa Aurunca is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Sessa Aurunca comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
Read on
Sessa Aurunca in our articles
The best olive oil towns within 90 minutes of Napoli6 towns, Sessa Aurunca among them.
The best hill towns you can reach by train within 90 minutes of Napoli8 towns, Sessa Aurunca among them.
The 9 best olive oil towns in Campania9 towns, Sessa Aurunca among them.
The best hill towns within 75 minutes of Naples9 towns, Sessa Aurunca among them.
How to get there
From Naples / Salerno (NAP), about 1h 8m by car.
Rome (FCO) is about 2h 49m away.
By car from the centre of Naples 1h 12m or Salerno 1h 37m.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming by train into Napoli Centrale? Sessa Aurunca is about 1h 12m away by road.
What to see
Cattedrale dei Santi Pietro e Paolo
Romanesque cathedral consecrated in 1113 with twelve antique columns, a Cosmatesque ambon and paschal candelabrum, and a Byzantine apse.
Teatro Romano di Sessa Aurunca
First-century Roman theater on the slope below the cathedral, one of the largest in southern Italy, with sculpted stage decoration recovered after 2000.
Castello Ducale
Medieval fortress rebuilt by the Lombards, the Normans and the Aragonese, now housing the civic museum with Roman finds from the theater.
Ponte degli Aurunci
Roman aqueduct bridge below the town, 22 arches, built in the late first century BC to carry water across the Rio dei Travati valley.
Vulcano di Roccamonfina
Extinct volcano north of the town, with the Caldera trail through chestnut and oak forest used by truffle hunters in the Roccamonfina park.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Sessa Aurunca fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Festa Popolare della Tammorrapatron saint's feast
usually held in July. Napolike - Sagre in Campania (calendario)
Il Castello del Gusto – 5 Fiera del Tartufofood festival
usually held in July. Napolike - Sagre in Campania (calendario)
Sagra della Fresellafood festival
usually held in August. Napolike - Sagre in Campania (calendario)
Sagra delle Crespellefood festival
usually held in August. Napolike - Sagre in Campania (calendario)
Living here
- Population 20,209
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Naples / Salerno, 1 h 8 min drive
- Regional capital Napoli, 1 h 12 min drive
Common questions
- What is Sessa Aurunca known for?
- Ancient Suessa Aurunca on the south slope of an extinct volcano, with a Romanesque cathedral of Cosmatesque mosaics built in 1103.
- Where is Sessa Aurunca?
- Sessa Aurunca is a comune in the province of Caserta, in Campania, at 203 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Sessa Aurunca?
- Naples / Salerno (NAP), about 1h 8m by car.
- Can you get to Sessa Aurunca without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Naples to Sessa Aurunca?
- About 1h 12m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Sessa Aurunca?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 31 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 14 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Sessa Aurunca?
- Yes. Festa Popolare della Tammorra, Il Castello del Gusto – 5 Fiera del Tartufo and Sagra della Fresella, and 1 more we hold a source for. July is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Sessa Aurunca?
- Montesarchio, Venafro and Castellana Grotte.
- How many people live in Sessa Aurunca?
- 20,209 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
The numbers
- Elevation: 203 m
- Population: 20,209
- Surface area: 162.18 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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