Casagiove

The town changed its name on the strength of a belief, and more than a century later the belief turned out to be right. Until 1810 it was called Casanova, then, joined to the villa of Coccagna, Casanova e Coccagna; the present name arrives with a royal decree of 17 February 1872, and the reason is that many town councillors were persuaded that a temple dedicated to Jupiter had once stood in these parts. Others thought this a mistake, and the question stayed open until 1997, when the temple on the Tifatini hills was actually found: what put the archaeologists on the right track were three Roman bronze plaques found by a private citizen, Mario Rivetti, and handed over to the authorities. What is left of it can be seen on Monte Tifata, which however already belongs to San Prisco.

The oldest document in its history is from 969: bishop Alderico grants the foundation of the church of Santa Croce in the place «ad Casanoba». In 1451 king Alfonso of Aragon exempted the villa of Casanova from the angaria, that is from the obligation to render services to the court, beginning with the carting of timber for the royal ships. Today Casagiove is stuck to Caserta and is part of the long built-up strip that follows the line of the Appian Way from Maddaloni to Capua: you cross the boundary with the provincial capital without noticing it.