Benevento
Elderly sentinels of the past and of historical memory, whose knowledge cannot be ignored if we want to lay solid foundations for the future. Ada Campania (voluntary association for the protection of the rights of elderly people) – in collaboration with Uil Pensionati Campania – launches a new edition of the project “Elderly Guides to History on tour”, which in 2019 was recognized as “best practice” by the Embassy and Consulate General of the Netherlands.
During the initiative, the elderly will guide visitors, illustrating the archaeological and landscape beauties of their territory. The project unfolds in six stages which will touch the most beautiful and iconic places in Campania. The first tour already took place last May 25th and gave participants the opportunity to admire the beauties of Benevento, a city of Samnite origin, known in the 4th century by the name of Maleventum and then known as a Roman colony with the name of Beneventum. Starting from the Lombard church of Santa Sofia, the participants reached Trajan’s Arch, symbol of the city.
The second stage has already been set for next June 21st at 6 pm. Participants will have the opportunity to visit the Avella amphitheater. Ancient Abella is one of the smallest centers in pre-Roman and Roman Campania. It boasts an amphitheater in opus reticulatum, without underground passages and preserved up to the media cavea, which is comparable to the amphitheater of Pompeii, which is slightly older.
In autumn you can visit the Campania amphitheater of Santa Maria Capua Vetere (1st century AD), in the province of Caserta. Second in size in the Roman world only to the Colosseum in Rome, the amphitheater is composed of 4 orders: the three lower ones of 80 arches each, in travertine and the fourth with a continuous wall decorated with pilasters.
This will be followed by visits to Summonte (province of Avellino), which is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) and to the archaeological park and museum of Paestum (in the province of Salerno).
As underlined by the president of Ada Campania Assunta Parisi, “the project has a dual purpose: on the one hand, to combat the isolation of the elderly and promote their psychophysical well-being; on the other, enhance their role as custodians and transmitters of the historical and cultural heritage of the area”.
“The Ada Grand Tour represents a precious opportunity to enhance the role of active elderly people in society – underlined the general secretary of Uilp Campania Biagio Ciccone – The elderly are not only custodians of a precious heritage of experience and knowledge, but also a fundamental resource for the community. Their contribution, in terms of volunteering, social participation and intergenerationality, is invaluable.” Ciccone then concluded: “The elderly are often marginalized and relegated to passive roles. In reality they have an enormous wealth of experience and knowledge to pass on to the new generations. This project is an opportunity to socialize, interact and feel an active part of the community.”
