Cultural heritage > Archaeology > excavations and parks

Area archeologica di Telesia

The Samnite city of Telesia is mentioned in the sources, for the first time, in year 217 B.C., when it was occupied by Hannibal and here, during Silla’s reign, a Roman legionary colony, named Herculea Telesina, was created. Of the ancient city remains part of the Roman walls, made in semi-reticulated opus, which stretched out for 2,5 km, equipped with four alternated pentagonal and circular towers and curtain walls, partly with a concave trend. Inside the walls are still visible the ruins of paved roads, of a theatre and of three thermal buildings; outside the northern door, on the walls, stands a cistern, outside the northern-western door (that lead to Capua) stands the amphitheatre that preserves the top structure, among which some vomitoria and the arch with the tiers of seats. Recent excavations have brought to light other monuments of the Roman city and many parts of the necropolis.