Make Memories In Saint Agata de Goti, Italy

A jam-packed 45 minutes in Saint Agata de Goti! Another memorable day out in Italy!

Not all days of travel are picture-perfect. We all know that. We get blisters on our feet, sleep poorly and can get worn out by all the logistics that have to be coordinated to make the adventure happen. But I think the most frustrating days are those when you do everything right and it still doesn’t go as planned. Our time in Saint Agata de Goti was a memory maker, in spite of all the mishaps

We had arranged for a group of us traveling together to head over to Sant’ Agata de Goti for a few hours on one of the days we were near Naples. Our Coach arrived on time despite Neapolitan traffic. We hopped into our air-conditioned van and off we went for a quick 1-hour drive to spend a few delightful hours in a small town near Caserta, Italy known for its unique medieval wall, and peaceful streets. It was going to be perfect! All that was planned was ‘be back to the van by 2:30.’

A few things to do in Saint Agata de Goti

Perfect! That was plenty of time for a leisurely walk over the medieval bridge and down to Ponte sul Martorano, head down to the narrow streets and take peek at the art in the Duomo. Then we would have plenty of time for a relaxed lunch outdoors followed by a “cafe especiale” (regional special espresso) at a little coffee bar in a quiet piazza with a gorgeous fountain before we did some shopping at the local stores as we leisurely made our way back to the van.

Image of Naples traffic, 3 memory maker activities in st. agata de'goti, Italy from www.captivatingcompass.com — Crazy traffic in Naples Italy. Yes, that is a pedestrian in the middle!

Well… about 20 minutes into our 1-hour drive, we were at a standstill on the autostrada. Nobody was going anywhere. We finally crept up to our exit thinking this would be the end of the traffic jam. We hoped we would be zipping along like all those Vespas that kept passing us when we were going nowhere on the autostrada.

Nope! No luck. “Niente!”The line up continued for as far as we could see. After about 2 hours in the van, we decided we should stop at the upcoming rest area for a few minutes. That was the best idea so far!

Now that we were refreshed we could happily sit in the van for another hour. Clearly, there must have been an accident or something that was causing such a major problem for everyone.

The longer we sat, the less leisurely our day was looking. Having left at 10 am, we finally arrived in Sant’ Agata de Goti at a bit before 1 pm. And…due to all the traffic, we were told we should leave at 2 pm (rather than 2:30) just in case.

What? We only have 1 hour?

Well, that’s disappointing, now isn’t it! So what are we to do? It’s not enough time for a proper Italian style lunch. I’m not sure we could even get a pizza that quickly! And I didn’t have my bearings yet to quite know how far a walk it was to the Duomo, or the Ponte sul Martorano.

Walk The Medieval Streets Of Saint Agata de Goti

After checking a map and seeing which way everyone else was headed, it looked like all the cool stuff was to the left. So we quickly headed left up a lovely narrow medieval cobbled street. Heading down that cute street to find a coffee bar and take care of first things first, a bathroom and a coffee. They always seem to go together, don’t they?

image of cafe especial served in St. Agata d'Goti bar. www.captivatingcompass.com

Grab An Espresso

So we started a brisk walk up this medieval street, snapping quick pics along the way. We had no time to waist! Found a coffee bar. And much to my pleasant surprise, they had “cafe especiale”! I was so excited!! I was going to get to try another local coffee special! The barista was slow, taking time to enjoy a conversation with each patron. I had a cafe and one of the kids ordered a hot chocolate. It was such thick drinking chocolate (like the kind you get in Switzerland in the winter). So much yum in such a little cup!

Do Some Shopping

At this point, we only had about 30 minutes left. Mama Mia! We could try and get some quick shopping in. So I ran into a very nice wine shop and ask for a good bottle of red wine. I apologized for being in a hurry and asked if he could also throw in a selection of dessert pastries he had on the counter. “Of Course!”, he said. I was happily on my way in about 3 minutes. Fastest wine shopping experience ever! I don’t recommend doing it this way…

We decided that since we only had about 20 minutes or so, we should maybe just enjoy our walk back to the meet-up point. Pop into shops, grab something quick to eat in the van and call it “Adventure a Presto!” (a quick adventure).

On our way back we came upon a very narrow 1 lane piazza. It was actually the piazza of a small church. There was just enough room to park 3 small (Italian small) cars. The area was rather packed with people, cars, and even a policeman. I figured someone had had a car accident or something. It was all rather chaotic as the cars were jockeying for position to either get into one of the 3 parking spaces, get through the ‘intersection’ and on their way or just drop people off.

What was going on? The closer we got, we realized the people getting out of the cars were not exactly dressed to come into town to do their shopping before “pranzo”. There were some fine Italian couture and silk suits getting out of these cars. And then I saw it, the fanciest car of all (was it really a Bentley?). It had the tell-tale white ribbons on the hood.

“Attend” An Italian Wedding

Image of St. Agata de' Gotto street with text overlay, 3 memory maker activities in st.agata de'gotti, Italy from www.captivatingcompass.com

It was a wedding! All the commotion was the family and the Bride (in the Bentley). Once everyone had gathered, the Father of the Bride escorted his stunning daughter up the stairs into the church. Organ music came spilling out as the massive church doors were opened. It was like something out of a movie!. We quietly took it all in with our backs pressed against the medieval stonewall letting cars pass if they dared. Everything stopped in the Piazza to watch the Bride enter the church to be wed to the very dashing young man in the blue suit.

Not a bad day in Italy, wouldn’t you say? How often can you in less than 45 minutes enjoy a regional “cafe especiale”, buy a few things to go with dinner AND attend (well sort of) an Italian wedding! That was the best 45-minute tour we could have asked for! Spontaneous, full of surprises, and even a little something (well, a lot) left for next time

Yes, we will be coming back to Sant’ Agata de Goti! Of course, because we didn’t get to see the Duomo, or the Ponte sul Martorano, but more so because it was just so enjoyable.

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A better than expected day in Saint Agata de Goti.

In those 45 minutes, I felt so comfortable and relaxed. I felt like I could let the kids wander and explore a bit on their own and they would be safe. We were enamored by the locals and their gracious hospitality even though we were in a hurry. I loved the streets, piazzas, and shops. Everything about Sant’ Agata de Goti made it worth the long journey, and the short visit. I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I had to, but I’ve already decided that next time it will be worth a minimum 2-night stay. Look out Sant’ Agata de Goti!

We’ll be back ready to learn on location about all you have to teach us concerning medieval Italy! I’m pretty sure I’ll be booking an agriturismo stay so we can be first in line for learning about and enjoying all the local specialties – apples, cherries, and wine!

Image of St. Agata de' Goti street with text overlay, 3 memory maker activities in st.agata de'goti, Italy from www.captivatingcompass.com

Sites not to be missed in Sant’ Agata de Goti:

The 10th-century Duomo (Cathedral),
The 13th century Chiesa di Santa Menna.
Castle. Don’t miss the frescoes, This castle used to be used as the Ducal Palace in the 16h century.
The Church of St. Francis was founded in 1282 but rebuilt in the 1700s.
Gothic church of the Annunziata (13th century). It houses 15th-century frescoes and a diptych of the Annunciation from the same time period.