The provincial capital of Caserta, the "Versailles" of the Bourbon rulers of Naples, lies at the foot of the Monti Tifatini in the northern part of the Campanian plain - some 30km/19mi north of Naples.
About 10km/6mi northeast of Caserta is the dilapidated village of Caserta Vecchia (401m/1,323ft), originally founded by the Lombards, which has retained its medieval character. It boasts a castle of the counts of Caserta and a cathedral (12th-13th century), built in Normano-Sicilian style, with a fine campanile (1234).
5km/3mi east of Capua, on the western slopes of Monte Tifata (604m/1,993ft), lies the village of Sant'Angelo in Formis, with a Romanesque basilica built in 1058 on the site of a temple of Diana Tifatina. The beautiful portico has Oriental pointed arches. The church contains ancient marble columns and fine frescoes of the school of Montecassino (11th century).