Christianity in the Middle Volturno Valley: Written Sources, Buildings and Masonry Techniques (5th-10th centuries)

The middle Volturno Valley, located between Molise and Campania including the provinces of Isernia, Caserta and Benevento, belongs to the Langobardia Minor. This territory is characterized by a great number of dioceses during Late Antiquity. In the Middle Ages we can observe the activity of the most important religious communities (such as San Vincenzo al Volturno and Montecassino) in the spread of Christianity, also thanks to the surviving of Roman routes which became the core of an improved pilgrimage. The recent study, stemming from the analysis of ancient written sources, has allowed us to identify approximately 200 Christian settlements and to locate some buildings with ancient architectural traces. The existence of these sites reveals the key role of the ancient towns and the dynamism of the rural areas. In this paper we will discuss a group of settlements dated between the 5th and the 10th century.