1. Capua: Amphitheater, Museums, and Mithraeum Tour
Step back in time to the old city of Capua on this guided tour in Santa Maria Capua Vetere. Following an archaeologist guide, tour the Campano Amphitheater, Gladiator Museum, Archaeological Museum of ancient Capua, and the Mithraeum. Just a few kilometers from Caserta, Santa Maria Capua Vetere holds traces of Capua, the once lively and rich city of ancient Rome. Start your tour inside the Campano Amphitheater: it still stands out thanks to its excellent state of preservation. It was likely the model for the Colosseum in Rome, although it was then progressively embellished by the emperors Adriano and Antoninus Pius. Then, head inside the nearby Gladiator Museum. This museum still retains original portions of the decorations of the amphitheater along with a reconstruction of a real gladiator fight. Afterward, move on to the Archaeological Museum of ancient Capua. See exhibited finds that go back to the Iron Age. The final stop will be the Mithraeum of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, a small treasure found almost by accident during an excavation for the construction of a building. Witness one of the most intact testimonies of the practices around the cult of the god Mitra. The frescoes and seating, still perfectly visible, push visitors to travel back to the 3rd century A.D.