The Magick Underbelly

When I told multiple people during (and after) my study abroad that I wanted to go to Benevento, I was met with a lot of shocked responses and 'what is that's. I don't think this is because Benevento is deemed unsafe, but because it wasn't exactly the first place a lot of people would want to go to during their time in Italy or on vacation. I will say though, that I feel my reasons for going are completely justified. One, because it has been sourced as the inspiration behind a significant town in my novel (described to have a magick underbelly, hence the title). Two, I'm working on a project for my class that discusses the image of Strega (or witch) in Italian culture which would discuss the history, modern practices, and its impact on the culture today. You can thank those witchcraft tendencies of mine for that choice. And three, you gotta give those smaller towns some love. It can't be all about the cities.

Now, Benevento. I was in the town for about five hours and I'm not gonna lie, it was hard to find enough landmarks to pass by the time. One of them I didn't realize I missed until an hour before my train was set to leave (and I wasn't about to miss my train back to Rome... even though it ended up being a four-hour-long journey). I think however that it was nice to just sit and relax in a town all by myself with my only expectation being to get a general feel of the town. Something that I think I managed to do. A quiet town with a lot of personalities that leans into its history of witches and trials. Although it's not deemed as the Salem of Italy, that honor belongs to Triora.

Right off the bat, the first thing I saw coming into the town was its shop dedicated to the liqueur brand, Strega. In one of my posts about Napoli, I praised Strega which I'll still continue to do in this post. The shop was full of goodies and drinks associated with the brand, all of which I wanted to take home with me. There were also sections dedicated to the books that have won their prestigious literary award (which I also mentioned in my Napoli post). While I didn't buy any new books, I still appreciated a liqueur store that sold its fair share of books. While I didn't think this company couldn't get any cooler, come to find out they sell chocolates, gelatos, and baked goods at their stores. Alcohol, chocolates, gelato, and books. What else could an avid reader and writer want?

There was no way for me to get everything, I did leave with a refill of the liqueur I've been drinking in the name of novel research (I promise it is for novel research, but I've grown to like it after a couple of nights drinking it), some chocolates (and I want more after learning they charged me by weight), and a shot glass that is going to me and not my Granny's shot glass collection.

For the rest of my time, I walked around the town, did some sightseeing, and did some writing on a bench by the main street. There was a good instance where I hung out by the Arch of Trajan which is a massive archway that looks incredibly cool with a view of fields.

It wasn't an action-packed, thrilling day by any means, but I was at peace and I don't regret this day by any means. It was a valuable one that will greatly help my research in both my project and my novel. The new notebook I've bought is an indication for sure.