Casalvieri


Stemma Città di Casalvieri
Casalvieri is located on a small hill in Val Comino at the foot of Mount Cairo and through its territory flows the charming river Melfa before joining the Liri River.

Casalvieri and the Comino Valley have been inhabited since the Palaeolithic age, and the first population to have this role were the Volsci, of which little is known, and then the Samnites took over in the eighth century BC. The Samnites were skillful and daring warriors and fought hard against the advancement of the Romans with whom they clashed for the first time in the Samnite War in 354 BC.

The Romans fought another two before they could expand into southern Italy and the 3rd Samnite War was fought in Val Comino.
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Probably the name of Casalvieri comes from 'Domus Olivieri' and therefore has Roman origins, perhaps of a villa in the area.

The creation of the medieval village occurred around the thousand when the people of the Val Comino sought shelter in the hills to escape the Saracen invasions by building castrums, which then turned into castles. The first citation about the castle dates back to 1017.

In the Middle Ages Casalvieri was first part of the Duchy of Benevento and then of the Principality of Salerno.
In 1076 it is known that this castle belonged to the Abbey but for its strategic position Casalvieri has had many changes of ownership. It was the fiefdom of the lords of Aquino and part of the county of Arpino.

In the sixteenth century it was ruled by the Della Rovere family and, from 1580 until 1796, by the Boncompagni.

In the Bourbon period it was part of the Terra di Lavoro province and, just as many of these lands that later passed to the Kingdom of Italy, experienced the phenomenon of brigandage and of those who opposed the new order.

After the unification of Italy and after the two world wars, in particular the second, which had the front of German resistance, the Gustav Line, in this valley, Casalvieri lost many through emigration but they still maintain strong ties with this splendid territory.



Typical products 

One of the typical cheese of Casalvieri is a goat cheese. It is made from milk from animals raised on natural pastures of the Comino Valley using traditional...

At Roccasecca and Casalvieri, linked by the Tracciolino, a special Roccaseccan Sfogliatella is prepared. Sfogliatella is a typical dessert of Neapolitan...

Archeotourism 

Porta Maggiore gate is now incorporated into the walls of the palaces and spans between the buildings. It is no longer used and connects the town of...

The Roman bridge crosses the Melfa river with the remains of a Roman road in Casal delle Mole of Casalvieri.
Mountain 

Along the Melfa Gorge you can experience the mountains with rock climbing on the walls.  Between Casalvieri and Roccassecca there are at least 3 rocky...
Wildlife Areas 

The territory of Casalvieri is crossed by the Melfa river that flows in a gorge for 13 km between high rock walls, in picturesque landscapes with the white...
Speleology 

At the height of 1254 metres near Pizzo Murro Marro, you can find the cave of Murro, a karst cavity that penetrates into the rock for a dozen meters. Karst...
Festivals 

How could an omelette festival be missing in a hamlet of Casalvieri called Frittata (omelette)? An event that has grown over the years and in addition to...
Celebrations 

Every two years during the Summer Festival the “LeColuche” Prize is awarded to people from Casalvieri who have distinguished themselves in the world in the...
Religious Celebrations 

Feast of Saint Onorio in Casalvieri is dedicated to the patron, Saint Onorio with a solemn mass in the church of St. John the Baptist. During the mass the...
Countryside Experiences 

At Casalvieri with the kayak on the Melfa. The flow of the Melfa river today is very low resulting from the capture of the Aurunci aqueduct and a...

The environment of Casalvieri has some interesting karst phenomena, such as the Fossa di Cavallo.

Churches & Places of Worship 

The Church of Madonna di Loreto is located in the hamlet of Frittata of Casalvieri. It is a simple rectangular building with a gabled roof.  The façade is...

The Church of Saint John the Baptist, Evangelist is Baroque but dates back to the Middle Ages. It was restructured in the 18th century under the leadership...
Archaeological museums 

The Father Iacobelli Museum of Casalvieri houses the archaeological finds of the Comino Valley. 
Architecture and monuments 

The imposing Rezza palace in Casalvieri was built in sixteenth-century Renaissance style and is located at the end of the hill on which the medieval village...

The War Memorial marks the entrance of the roadway up to the old village of Casalvieri. It is built on a lookout from which you can see Casalattico and the...

Lifestyle 

In my mind it was not possible that a small town could be hidden in the National Park of Lazio, Abruzzo and Molise, in the enchanted Val di Comino, that was...
Meet Special People 

It is a compelling and adventurous story which has transformed the small village of Casalvieri, in the Val di Comino, into one of the world centres of balloon...
Special Places 

This year, 2017, May 5th marked the 1000th birthday of Casalvieri. Not that the area of the Val di Comino or Terre Comino was not peopled previously, but this...

It is time to celebrate one of the favourite patron saints. Saint Onorio, in Casalvieri, one of the magical towns of Val Comino whose patron saint is...

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