Pastorano brings together sacred architectural history and historical connections spanning from Roman times to the 19th century. It also features a flat landscape on the right bank of the Volturno and a location at the crossroads of two state highways. So when planning your trip, the churches are not the only consideration: you can also decide whether to get to know the town through its history or as a base for travelling by car.
Churches from Three Centuries
The parish church of San Pietro Apostolo was built in the 16th century and remodelled in the following century. The Madonna di Costantinopoli chapel dates from the 17th century, and the Carmine church from the 18th century. The three buildings therefore belong to different building periods. San Pietro Apostolo forms a chronological bridge between the century in which it was built and the one in which it was remodelled; Madonna di Costantinopoli and the Carmine church each belong to a later period.
If you are interested in sacred architectural history, it is worth keeping both dates in mind for San Pietro Apostolo: its remodelling in the following century is just as much a part of its history as its construction. The dates of the chapel and the Carmine church offer further points of comparison. This makes it possible to place Pastorano’s church architecture by century, rather than reducing the buildings to a single period.
Historical Connections from Antiquity to 1815
Pastorano’s origins are closely linked to those of Cales, now Calvi Risorta, and Capua. The area of Pastorano became a Roman colony from the 1st century BC onward. Another precisely dated connection is the Treaty of Casalanza, concluded in Pastorano on 20 May 1815. These details offer different perspectives on the history of the town and its surrounding area.
The Roman colony places the area in antiquity, while the Treaty of Casalanza connects Pastorano with a specific event in the 19th century. Together with the origins linked to Cales and Capua, this provides a historical overview spanning several periods. If you would like to plan your stay around a particular theme, you can first decide whether you are more interested in the area’s early history, its ties to the other two places, or the precisely dated treaty.
Landscape and Getting There
Pastorano is in the Terra di Lavoro, on the right bank of the Volturno. The landscape is flat. These details complement the churches and historical connections with a geographical perspective: Terra di Lavoro describes the regional setting, the Volturno provides the river connection, and the flat landscape describes the terrain. This makes it possible to describe Pastorano not only through its history but also through its location.
For travel by car, Pastorano’s location at the crossroads of the SS 7 Appia and SS 6 Casilina state highways is a useful point of reference. The “Capua” toll booth on the Autostrada del Sole is about 4 km from the historic town centre. This is an approximate distance and refers to that town centre.
Plan Your Stay and Accommodation
When planning your trip, you can consider historical and practical questions separately. If you would mainly like to discover Pastorano through its churches and local history, its building periods and historical connections provide a clear set of themes to explore. If travelling by car is a deciding factor, the two state highways and the toll booth offer additional points of reference. This lets you choose accommodation to suit the purpose of your trip.
Discover more destinations: Casanova, San Clemente, Carinola, Pratella, Caserta, Squille, Camigliano, Gricignano di Aversa.
Back to the main travel overview: Caserta.
