Dimora del Prete di Belmonte

The bedrooms are all located on the second floor, accessed via a splendid white Carrara marble staircase. All rooms offer beautiful views, overlooking the Volturno Valley and the surrounding mountains. You can admire the Olive Tree Regional Park and the ancient medieval watchtower; Mount Santa Croce, also known as Mount Cerino, whose name likely derives from Hercules Curinus, whose cult was important among the Samnites and on whose summit today stands a very tall cross, visible even at night; the enchanting Piazza di Cristo and its church dating back to 1546; and, all around, the ancient roofs of the village.
The rooms are all furnished with period furniture, one of which features a four-poster bed and fireplace. The en-suite bathrooms are equipped with all comforts, hairdryers, and complimentary toiletries. Free Wi-Fi is available. For greater relaxation and to better recreate the atmosphere of the past, some rooms do not have a TV. One of the rooms is located on the third level and is accessed by a wooden staircase. It's an attic with a double bedroom, bathroom, and a small living room where two additional beds can be added. The private terrace offers an extraordinary view.

The city of Venafro has ancient origins. Its territory, inhabited since prehistoric times, is located in the fertile valley of the Volturno River, framed by the Matese and Mainarde mountains. First inhabited by the Samnites, an ancient Italic population, it later became a Roman city, who used water from the source of the Volturno River via a 30 km long aqueduct, many sections of which still survive. During the Roman period, the amphitheater, commonly known as the "Verlasce," was built, which could accommodate 15,000 spectators. During the same period, the theater was built on the slopes of the mountain, taking advantage of the natural slope of the land. It was then that the cultivation of a particular variety of olive began: the Aurino, which still produces a delicately scented oil today. Horace, Pliny the Elder, and Juvenal wrote about this oil, extolling its qualities. After the feudal period, in 1437, Venafro was granted by Alfonso of Aragon to Enrico Pandone, who expanded the Lombard castle built on a megalithic fortification. The eight life-size horses painted in fresco and relief, still a testament to Enrico's passion, can be admired on the main floor. The upper floor is home to the National Museum of Molise. Among the many ancient convents, the convent of Santa Chiara houses the Archaeological Museum, which displays, among other things, the oldest chess set in Europe. In the streets of the historic center, which retain the same layout as the Roman and medieval city, palaces were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, incorporating the earlier structures. The Romanesque Cathedral, the 17th-century Church of the Annunziata, and the Church of San Francesco are the most notable of the 40 churches built in the city. Strolling among the centuries-old olive trees of the regional park, you can admire the megalithic walls and reach the Roman tower overlooking the valley. The "Le Mortine" Oasis, a hydrophilic forest, is of great naturalistic interest.