Suessa

Suessa, commonly known as Suessa Aurunca, is the ancient name of a city in southern Italy. The site corresponds to the present-day town of Sessa Aurunca in the province of Caserta, Campania. In antiquity, Suessa Aurunca was an important Italic settlement and later became part of Roman-controlled territory, reflecting the broader process of Romanization in Campania.

Etymology and location are tied to the Aurunci, a pre-Roman Italic people who inhabited the area. The name Suessa Aurunca identifies the city as a center associated with the Aurunci, and the location was strategically placed in the inland hill country of Campania, along routes linking inland settlements with the Tyrrhenian coastline.

Historical overview suggests that Suessa Aurunca developed as an urban center in antiquity, fostering local governance and religious life, and it later entered the Roman provincial system. Under Roman rule it acquired a level of municipal status and continued to function as a populated center into late antiquity. Archaeological remains from the site point to a long urban occupation, including fortifications and public buildings, though details vary across sources.

Today, the modern town of Sessa Aurunca preserves the name and echoes of its ancient past. It is part of the Caserta province in Campania and serves as a local center for surrounding communities. The site and its environs are of interest to researchers and visitors for their archaeological layers and continuity with regional Italic and Roman history.