Benevento's history is ancient and eventful. Founded by the Samnites, a warrior Italic people, it was an important center before being conquered by the Romans in 268 BC, who named it Beneventum (from Maleventum, a previous name with negative connotations).

During the Roman era, it became a flourishing city, crossed by the Appian Way, and embellished with monuments such as the Arch of Trajan and the Roman Theater.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, in 571 AD, it became the capital of an important Lombard duchy, and later a principality, retaining a certain autonomy even after the arrival of the Normans.

In the Middle Ages, it became part of the territories of the Church, becoming a papal possession until the unification of Italy (1860), when it was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.

Its long history has left a rich artistic and cultural heritage, a testament to the many civilizations that have inhabited it.