The medieval village with its Arab-Norman cathedral
On the slopes of the Tifatini mountains, about ten kilometres above the modern city, Casertavecchia is the original medieval Caserta, founded in the eighth or ninth century by the Lombards. When the Bourbons built the Royal Palace on the plain, the population moved down and the old village remained almost untouched, frozen in time.
Its jewel is the Cathedral of San Michele Arcangelo, consecrated in 1153, a remarkable blend of Romanesque, Arab-Norman and Sicilian influences: the façade in grey tuff, the interior with ancient columns taken from Roman temples, and above all the bell tower and the dome, decorated with interlaced arches and coloured inlays recalling the architecture of Palermo and Amalfi. Around it the lanes of grey stone, the ruins of the castle with its massive tower and the small squares make for a pleasant walk, with views over the plain as far as Vesuvius.
Tip: the village fills up on summer evenings and at weekends, with restaurants serving local dishes; in September the Settembre al Borgo festival brings music and theatre.
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