Rocca dei Rettori

Benevento, Italy, Italy

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Rocca dei Rettori is a historic fortress that stands on the highest point of Benevento’s old town in southern Italy.

Originally developed on a site used since prehistoric and ancient times, it was fortified by the Lombards in the 8th century and later expanded into a castle and administrative center. In the 14th century, Pope John XXII transformed the complex into the residence of the papal governors, or “rettori,” from whom the fortress takes its name.

Over the centuries, it served various purposes, including as a government seat and later as a prison. Today, Rocca dei Rettori is one of Benevento’s most important landmarks. Its distinctive Lombard tower, historic palace buildings, gardens, and archaeological remains reflect more than a thousand years of history, and the complex now houses provincial offices and part of the Museum of the Samnium.