by Fabrizio Fiorenzano
CASERTAVECCHIA ancient village in Campania.
Casertavecchia (a hamlet of Caserta) is a medieval village that stands on the slopes of the Tifatini mountains at about 401 meters above sea level and 10 km north-east of Caserta.
The origins of Casertavecchia are still uncertain, but according to some information extrapolated from a writing by the Benedictine monk Erchemperto, already in the year 861 AD there was an urban nucleus called “Casahirta” (from the Latin casa meaning village and hirta meaning rugged).
The village has undergone various dominations over the course of history.
Originally belonging to the Lombards, it was ceded in 879 to Count Pandulfo of Capua.
Following the Saracen raids and the devastation of Capua, the inhabitants and the clergy of the surrounding areas found a safe refuge in Casertavecchia, protected by the mountains.
During this period the population increased so considerably that it determined the transfer of the bishop’s seat inside the village.
In 1062 the Norman domination began, which brought the town to the maximum level of splendor with the construction of the current cathedral, consecrated to the cult of San Michele Arcangelo. With alternating events the village passed under the Swabian domination with Riccardo di Lauro (1232-1266), who increased the importance of the village also from a political point of view.
In 1442 the village passed under the Aragonese domination, thus beginning its long and progressive decline: in Casertavecchia only the bishop and the seminary remained.
Words by: City of Caserta
