Temple and Theatre of San Nicola

Is it worth the trip?

For a curious traveller in the upper Caserta area, yes: a temple and a theatre designed as one building on a mountain spur is a rare arrangement (SiViaggia), and the setting is spectacular. Be clear what you are getting, though. The theatre is small - published estimates put its capacity at about 2,000 - and has been restored heavily enough that the restoration itself was criticised as invasive (SiViaggia); the temple is only a floor plan. Getting there takes a short climb, rough in places. It is a fine half-day combined with the hill village of Pietravairano, not a reason on its own to cross Campania.

Getting there and what it costs

The site is on Monte San Nicola, in the frazione of Sant’Eremo of Pietravairano (SiViaggia); the nearest town of any size is Teano, about 13 km away in a straight line. The walk up takes about 15 minutes, rough in places and in full sun all the way, so avoid the hottest months and carry water (SiViaggia). OpenStreetMap maps car parks in the village below, 700 m to 1.1 km from the site in a straight line.

A monorail has also been built up the hill: the Comune announced in May 2025 that it had passed its acceptance test, and in September 2025 the audience for a concert in the theatre came up both on foot and by monorail (Comune di Pietravairano, via Matese News and Caserta Sera). Whether it runs for ordinary visitors, and when, is not published.

The site is managed by the Comune di Pietravairano, which publishes no opening hours or admission terms. It said in May 2025 that the site would reopen that June after a further round of restoration, and the theatre hosted a concert that September. Before going, ask the Comune whether it is open (no terms published as of 24 October 2026).

History

The hilltop lay inside walls built during the Samnite occupation of the area (Pleiades), which passed under Roman control with the Samnite Wars of 343-290 BC (SiViaggia). The sanctuary itself is late Republican, though published dates range from the later 2nd to the early 1st century BC: roof terracottas found around the temple terrace belong to the second half of the 2nd century BC, while the building technique and pottery point to the first quarter of the 1st century BC (FastiOnline). The temple’s rainwater ran off its roof into a lined basin in the south-east corner and on into a cistern (FastiOnline). Later walls built against and over the temple show that the terrace was reoccupied in the Middle Ages, and a small apsed building nearby may be the chapel of the medieval settlement on the hill (FastiOnline).

Nicolino Lombardi, a local historian, had photographed the ruins before and taken them for a medieval building; flying over the mountain on 4 February 2000 he recognised the symmetry of a temple and a theatre from the air (pietravairano-ce.it, it.wikipedia). Excavation began in 2002 under Gianluca Tagliamonte, with the University of Lecce (the Università del Salento) working alongside the Comune; by its sixth season, in 2013, the cavea had been largely uncovered and its steps restored (FastiOnline).