The cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in Casertavecchia was built in the 12th century with materials from other churches and Roman monuments.

The Caserta Fairies

Who carried the cathedral's massive columns to this hilltop village in the 12th century?

The architecture of Castertavecchia blends cultures and ages, including the Byzantine, Arabic, Norman and French Gothic. – © Natalija Sahraj / Shutterstock

During the period of Norman conquests in Southern Italy during the 11th and 12th centuries, the Casa Hirta village became Norman. Located 10km away from Caserta, the village is now referred to as Casertavecchia, or ‘Old Caserta’, and is at the foot of the Tifatini Mountains. It was during this period that the village began constructing its cathedral, dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel. The cathedral was built by integrating building materials from other distant Roman monuments and buildings.

Columns and side aisle of the 12th century Basilica. – © Bruno Cristillo

Thus was born the legend of the Caserta fairies. It is said that the marble columns of the cathedral came from the cathedral of the ancient Roman city of Calatia. Given their heavy weight and the poor state of the road, it was too difficult for the workers to carry the columns to Casa Hirta. So the fairies from the Tifatini Mountains were called upon and each of them managed to carry a column, flying directly to the top of the mountain, with the columns balanced on their heads. Thanks to this fairy assistance, the construction of the cathedral could finally be completed.

Pulpit and massive columns of the Basilica. – © Bruno Cristillo