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Janara*
Cultural immersion
in Benevento
Plants, witches,
and sacred sites
*The regional word for witch is “janara” (pronounced yahnara).
Plant Medicine | Hands-on Rituals | Village Living | Guided Excursions | Herbal Mentoring
June 3-10, 2027
Guardia Sanframondi
(province of Benevento)
limited to 8 participants
We are excited to announce a new adventure! This is going to be an exciting “mash-up” between The Root Circle and Radici Siciliane.
We’ll be bringing a small group to the beautiful and sacred province of Benevento, Campania, Italy. renowned for its cultural traditions, folk magic, and witchcraft history.
Immerse yourself in the Benevento Province, with wild magical beauty, ancestral wisdom, sacred plants, witchcraft and the living rituals of place.
Let the land, its people, and its magic awaken your spirit.
All cultural lineages welcome and invited, but this is specifically beautiful for those with any Italian / Sud Italian cultural soma.
This trip will not be a tour,
but will be an immersion in a small village with local guides and teachers.
Who this is for:
You’re devoted to healing, presence, and land connection.
You’re interested in learning about Southern Italian Medicina Popolare
You love plants, ancestral magic, witchcraft, and Southern Italian culture.
You’re a seeker who wishes to integrate diaspora wisdom with the living traditions of Southern Italy.
You’re drawn to experiential learning, nature immersion, and personalized herbal mentorship.
You want to travel with respect and honor to the culture, and redistribute the energy to those who generously teach and share with us.
Southern Italian
Medicina
Popolare
About Benevento
The province of Benevento is in the Campania region of Southern Italy, about an hour east of the city of Naples.
During this immersion, our home village will be Guardia Sanframondi, a mountainous, ancient paese in Benevento that faces a legendary mountain range known as La Donna Dormiente, or “The Sleeping Woman,” which is also part of the Taburno-Camposauro massif.
The region is also known as Sannio, named for the Samnites, an Italic people who lived in the central-southern Apennine mountains and fought a series of famous wars against the early Roman Republic. In Oscan, the language of the Samnites, this region was called Safinim.
The Samnites who inhabited this particular region were a subgroup known as the Hirpini. The name Hirpini comes from the Oscan word hirpus, meaning “wolf,” making the Hirpini the “Wolf People.”
Benevento was also ruled by the Lombards, or Longobards, a Germanic people who established the Duchy of Benevento in 571 CE. Their presence in the region lasted for nearly 500 years, until the territory was finally captured by the Normans in 1053.
The culture and history of the region today are rich with layers drawn from its most ancient indigenous peoples, along with influences from Greek and Roman mystery religions as well as the sacred traditions of the Pagan North.
The Janara (pronounced YAH-nah-rah) is the local dialect word for witch. The word is traditionally linked to Dianara, meaning a follower or priestess of Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and nature. It is also linked to the Latin word ianua, meaning “door” or “portal.”
The Janare (plural) are the subjects of local legend, folklore, and mystery, as well as being the holders and practitioners of folk medicine, witchcraft, and natural magic throughout the region.
We will Experience together:
A Janara ritual
Drumming and flower essence making at Leonessa. Be in connection with both Italian and Italian American keepers of these traditions
Spend a day in Benevento
Benevento is the city of the Janere. We'll visit the museum and explore the rich cultural traditions of this magical city 
Hands-on Herbalism Mentoring
Spend the day meeting the land and plants with local naturalist, Zio Bacco. Learn what grows, the medicines they provide, and be in relationship with this bioregion 
Pilgrimage to the Black Madonna
Pilgrimage to Montevergine, the Black Madonna, the earth mother of this region. 
Local Folk Magic
Spend time with locals learning about the folk magic traditions. Gather and connect with community and be in the magic of reclamation together.
Ancestral Foods
Enjoy local meals made by the nonne of the village 
Your experience includes:
Transport to and from the train station in Telese / or from Naples airport (pick one or the other)
7 nights of accommodation
7 Italian breakfasts (cornetto/dolce and coffee), 2 lunches, and 3 dinners
All transport during the immersion in a comfortable van with a licensed driver
Translators
Visits to sacred sites with deep cultural context
Integration and ritual circles
Flower essence making supples
All workshops, rituals, naturalist-led experiences
Local guides and experts in the practice of plants and medicina populare
Guided excursions, plant medicine practices, and selective cuisine experiences
Not included:
Airfare
Transport to the meeting point
Accommodations before June 4 and after June 9.
Any extras; alcohol, tourist shopping, etc.
Daily drinking water (you can buy at the bar down from accommodations)
Travel insurance
Where and When:
Benevento province and the surrounding villages, Southern Italy— ancient villages, a lineage of witches, and wild landscapes.
June 3-10, 2027
7 nights, 8 days
Meet Your Guides:
Lisa Fazio
I’m an Irish/Italian American folklore witch, heretic, herbalist, astrologer, and the mother of 4 children and Nonna to 2 grandchildren. I am also “una donna che aiutana” (a woman who helps). This is an Italian phrase that refers to the traditional peasant herbalists and healers who provided physical, spiritual, and energetic healing services to their communities both in Italy and in the Italian diaspora.
My principal training is in Traditional Western Herbalism, Western Astrology, and the folk ways of my Italian immigrant family. The primary focus of my work is ancestral revival and remembrance within the Italian diaspora as well as with anyone who longs for ancestral connection.
My practices use the tools and methods from the Folk Catholic and animistic traditions of my Italian ancestors who were the original people of Calabria; the Brutti people, and Benevento; the Samnite people.
MaryBeth Bonfiglio
I’m a second-generation Sicani and Lucani, from Sicily and southern Italy as well as Masche from Northern Italy.
I was born in 1973. My maternal grandmother gave me the gift of Położna (midwifery) from Poland. I was raised by the working poor, culturally intact, slowly but traumatically assimilated and vibrant immigrant communities in small towns in Upstate NY, the land of the Eries people.
My mother worried. My father was a bookie. My mother was devoted La Madonna. My father was a witch. Read my full bio here.
FAQ
Arrivals / Departures / Accommodations
What dates should I book my air travel?
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Where should I fly into?
We offer pick up at the Naples airport or at the train station in Telese.
How does drop off for departures work?
x If you plan to stay after the immersion, please let us know.
Are all accommodations included?
Yes, for the nights of the immersion we cover all your accommodations.
If you would like to spend extra time outside of the nights of June 3 through June 9th, you are responsible for booking and paying for your extended stay.
A list of trusted accommodations will be provided to all participants shortly after registration.
Is my payment for a double or single room?
The prices you see are per person for a double room.
Are accommodations luxury?
We are not a luxury travel company.
Our business model is about keeping our immersions accessible, so our accommodations are neat, clean, and pretty typical to the Sud Italia building style, which means old and often ancient.
We are committed to working with hyper-local businesses, family farms, family bed and breakfasts, and not anything corporate or internationally owned. We want to redistribute money to small, family run, community-centered accommodations.
Do rooms have private facilities?
x
Is internet available? Cell service?
x
x
What about outlets?
You will need to bring a specific European converter, but we will make sure you have all that information well before your departure.
Meals
Will meals be provided?
7 Italian breakfasts (cornetto/dolce and coffee), 2 lunches, and 3 dinners are included.
Can I order what I want?
Meals that included are served family style and the menu is planned in advance — we can only accommodate for allergies, not for dislikes or food preferences.
If you don’t like what’s served, it’s important to be respectful and know that there will be plenty of options during meals. If there is an issue with the food, please bring it to MaryBeth’s attention immediately.
Can you accommodate diet restrictions?
We can accommodate gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan.
It is possible to accommodate certain diet restrictions, such as food allergies — but choices will be limited. We cannot accommodate for food preferences.
You will be asked in advance of your allergies and/or diet restrictions.
Is alcohol included?
Yes wine comes with almost every meal. Beer, spritz, or anything else can be purchased by you upon request.
Everything Else
What is your cancellation policy?
x
Do you recommend travel insurance?
Yes, yes, yes. YES! We highly recommend travel insurance! As a matter of fact, if you choose not to get it, you must sign a waiver saying you opt out.
These are uncertain times and it is important to us that you are protected, both physically and financially. We suggest you get insurance that is full coverage in case you have to cancel past the refund deadline so you can be reimbursed via your insurance.
Can I bring a child?
x
Will there be a lot of movement?
There will be a decent amount of walking and movement each day.
The walking is on ancient cobble village streets, rough paths, etc. not perfectly paved places. You will need to enjoy and/or tolerate walking 1-3 miles a day and some days even more. It is important to bring walking/hiking sneakers. We walk a lot. And oftentimes it’s uphill.
What kind of clothing do I need? What else should I pack?
Comfortable clothing appropriate for walking, hiking, clothing for warmish weather, but layers for evenings when it cools down. Average temps for June are 70s and low 80s.
As we get closer to our time together, we will send you a handy PDF with packing suggestions for this trip.
What if I don’t know Italian?
English and Italian will be spoken and we will have an English translator when needed.
Do I need to be of Italian descent to come?
No, not at all! It will be especially moving for those with Southern Italian lineages.
Please come if you are called, no matter where your ancestors hail from. There is something to learn for everyone. Our prayer is connection and community.
What is the currency? Can we use credit cards?
Most places will accept credit cards, however you will need exchange your dollars for Euros in the US for best rates. You can also exchange at the airports and certain bank ATMs as well. Once you register I will share an ATM trick I learned to avoid fees/conversion costs.
What if there are travel restrictions?
This is why we strongly encourage travel insurance, which is quite affordable considering what it protects. Anything can happen, and if there are restrictions, we have to cancel or reschedule.
What if I get COVID while in Italy?
You will have to isolate until you feel better and test negative. Travel insurance will reimburse you for any extra costs, such as hotel stays, and plane changes, if you need to. Have we mentioned that we really suggest travel insurance?
Do I need to be vaccinated against COVID to come?
This is a really tough question. At this moment there are no requirements, but we strongly suggest you have vaccinations. If you contract COVID you are 100% responsible for any costs that are incurred. Also, getting sick in a foreign country isn’t fun.
We will also strongly suggest mask wearing in close proximity, for instance in cars, transport, etc. Most of our gathering is done outside, though, so we are in open air a lot.