Sannita Pentra City
Monte Vairano is an important archaeological site revealing a lost city of the Samnite Pentri. Excavations have uncovered structures, streets, and a powerful defensive wall, dating back to the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. The site, identified by some as ancient Aquilonia, offers a glimpse into a civilization that resisted Roman conquest. It’s now a peaceful spot for nature walks and mushroom hunting.
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Type of Experience
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Duration1 h
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DifficultyEasy
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Group SizeIndividuals/Groups
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Suitable ForEveryone
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WhenAll year round
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Mode of TransportationCar, Own vehicle
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Departure FromBaranello
The settlement of Monte Vairano is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of recent years.
Excavations and archaeological investigations have revealed a lost city, whose traces had completely disappeared, an area of about 50 hectares with buildings, wide streets, and structures arranged on terraces and enclosed by a powerful polygonal wall with three gates.
Signs of site occupation date back to the 6th century BC, but it is between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC that the settlement fully developed during the peak of the expansion and power of the Samnite Pentri.
The site has been identified by some daring scholars with the ancient Aquilonia, a Samnite city that was captured by the Romans, and whose fall is considered the decisive element for the end of the Samnite Wars.
Today, the site offers an added value to a relaxing walk through the beautiful Monte Vairano forest, which is particularly frequented by mushroom and truffle hunters.
Photo Credit: Wikiloc
The incredible history of a vanished civilization that strongly resisted Roman conquest is told on this hill, in the Monte Vairano forest, where the remains of one of the richest and most powerful cities of the Samnite Pentri are preserved. The archaeological area is immersed in a beautiful natural setting just a few kilometers from Campobasso.
