Benevento, 28 February 2025 - A sanctuary from the Hellenistic-Roman period, rich in votive material, was found in the area of the municipality of Ponte (Benevento), evidence of a cult and rituals that marked the most important moments in the lives of the people who lived in the area. This was presented today at the Palaeontology Room of the Benevento Operations Centre of the Superintendency Archeologia belle arti e paesaggio for the provinces of Caserta and Benevento, during the inauguration of the temporary archaeological exhibition entitled 'Journey to the Sacred. The discovery of the Ponte sanctuary along the new HS/HC Naples-Bari line'. The exhibition, curated by the Superintendency of Benevento, displays the findings unearthed during track-doubling works of the Telese-Vitulano section.
With the construction of the new HS/HC Naples-Bari line, in fact, the FS Group is returning an unprecedented cultural heritage to Italians, in a dialogue between progress and historical roots that shows how the construction sites of major railway infrastructure works can become a window on the past.
The sanctuary uncovered at Ponte, with its architectural complexity and the wealth of votive material unearthed, appears to be dedicated to deities connected to the sphere of healing (sanatio), fertility of the earth and animals and/or motherhood. Its discovery has offered a new historical insight into the cultural customs of the region, before and during the Romanisation of Sannio.
Among the exhibits on display, in the presence of representatives of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana and Italferr (FS Group) and the Superintendencies of Caserta and Benevento and of the Naples Metropolitan Area, there are depictions of deities linked to rites of an initiatory nature, statuettes depicting devout young women and male warriors. There is also a model of a terracotta temple intended to receive offerings, votive material related to anatomical parts, ceramic artefacts and coins.
"This is the first exhibition that we are inaugurating to give back to the public the story that the territories of this new line tell us," said Mariano Nuzzo, Superintendent of the Naples Metropolitan Area and for the provinces of Caserta and Benevento. “We have also considered the needs of young visitors, with specific dedicated panels: recent infrastructure works that look to the future become an opportunity for new historical discoveries that enrich the knowledge and consolidate the culture of the new generations. We will be organising other popular events, thanks to the cooperation between institutions, with the other Superintendencies and with the FS Group, and with the collaboration of the Ministry of Culture”.
THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR THE PROMOTION OF ARTEFACTS
The memorandum of understanding was also signed between RFI and the Superintendencies of Caserta and Benevento and of the Naples Metropolitan Area, the aim of which is to define a common strategy for the valorisation and promotion of the findings linked to the Naples-Bari route. The activities agreed upon include further steps to restore knowledge regarding the findings to the local areas: in the Benevento Operations Centre, there will be a permanent exhibition on the Roman villa of Solopaca; the Archaeological Museum of Calatia - Maddaloni will be home to a burial ground attributable to the Campania culture and found on the Cancello-Frasso Telesino route; lastly, in Ponte, some wall structures pertaining to the Hellenistic-Roman sanctuary unearthed in this area will be reassembled. Information panels will also be installed at the new stations in Acerra, Valle di Maddaloni, Ponte-Casalduni and Solopaca.
FS GROUP AND ARCHAEOLOG: RESTORATION OF THE STATUETTE OF HERCULES BEGINS
The commitment of the FS Group and its companies continues with the activities of Archeolog, the Group's third sector organisation which brings together Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, Italferr and Anas. Archeolog, in synergy with the Superintendencies of the Ministry of Culture, aims to contribute to the restoration, conservation and valorisation of the precious archaeological finds that have been unearthed during the construction and maintenance of Italy's road and rail infrastructures.
Archeolog decided to engage in the restoration of a metal alloy statuette of Hercules, dating from the 2nd century BC and found in the area of the Ponte sanctuary. This mythological figure appears in the Samnite context in connection with the agricultural-pastoral world, as a protector deity of flocks and springs, dedicated to guaranteeing trade and pacts.
THE NEW HS/HC NAPLES-BARI LINE
The project includes upgrading and speed-up of the Naples-Bari route, which will integrate the southern railway infrastructure with the 'Scandinavian - Mediterranean' Core Corridor.
The strategic work will improve accessibility in all areas crossed by national, long-distance, regional and freight services.
Once the works have been completed, the Naples-Bari connection will take just 2 hours, compared to the current 4, while the Rome-Bari connection will take 3 hours, saving almost two hours compared to today. The project, with a total cost of over EUR 6 billion, is also a driver for job creation: over 7,000 people between engineers, technicians and workers are engaged in the project.