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Venafrum (Roman theatre and amphitheatre)

Roman Venafrum’s amphitheatre, preserved inside a ring of houses, and an Augustan theatre on the hillside.

  • Isernia
  • Archaeological site
Plan your visit
Where
Isernia
Best for
Amphitheatre Verlascio
Allow
45 minutes
Tickets
Free

Venafro was the Roman town of Venafrum, known in antiquity for its olive oil. Two monuments of it remain. The amphitheatre, called Verlascio or Verlasce, dates to the first century AD, measures about 110 by 85 meters and once held up to 15,000 spectators.

Its elliptical shape survives because seventeenth-century houses were built into the ruin, so today the arena is ringed by ordinary facades and reticulated walls with brick facing. Higher up the slope of Monte Santa Croce sits the theatre from the Augustan age, built in opus reticulatum. The town’s archaeological museum, in the convent of Santa Chiara, holds the Venus of Venafro and the Venafro chess pieces, among the oldest in Europe.

Five things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The Verlascio amphitheatre1st century AD

    The oval still shows because 17th-century houses were built into its shell, leaving an arena ringed by ordinary facades and reticulated brick-faced walls.Via delle Milizie, edge of the old town

  2. The Augustan theatreOpus reticulatum, Augustan age

    Higher on the hillside than the amphitheatre, the theatre shows the net-pattern masonry typical of the period.Upper slope of Monte Santa Croce

  3. The Venus of VenafroAntonine copy of the Venus Landolina

    A fine marble copy of one of antiquity's most famous statues, found by a farmer in 1958.Ground floor of the archaeological museum, former Santa Chiara convent

  4. The Tavola AcquariaEdict of Augustus, between 17 and 11 BC

    A stone tablet carries the emperor's rules for building and using the town's 30-kilometer aqueduct from the Volturno springs.Archaeological museum

  5. The English alabaster polyptychMedieval English workshop

    One of the rare intact English alabaster altarpieces in Italy, originally in the Annunziata church.Second floor of the museum

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
Free
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
45 minutes
Best time
Morning or late afternoon, in spring or autumn
Getting there
Venafro is in the province of Isernia, in the Volturno plain, reached from Naples or Rome by the A1 (Caianello exit) and the SS85 toward Venafro. The amphitheatre is on Via delle Milizie, at the edge of the old town, a short walk from the center; the theatre is farther up the hillside.

The amphitheatre is open to the public and free. The theatre is visited by arrangement.

Walk the curved street of houses that follows the outer wall of the arena, then step inside; it is one of the few places where a Roman building and everyday life share the same walls.

Official website
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Good to know

How long should you spend at the Venafro Roman theatre and amphitheatre?

The two sites together take about 45 minutes. Add time for the archaeological museum in the convent of Santa Chiara if you want the Venus and the aqueduct edict.

Is Venafrum worth visiting?

Yes, if you like Roman sites without the crowds. The amphitheatre is unusual because the town grew into it, and the museum is a good small collection.

Do you need to book Venafrum?

No, there is no need to book for the outdoor monuments; you can simply arrive and walk up. For the museum, check the Ministry of Culture page in case hours or access change.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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