Benevento Calcio, the Italian football club based in Benevento, Campania, is instantly recognizable for a crest that features a witch flying on a broomstick. The club, commonly nicknamed Gli Stregoni (The Sorcerers), has used the witch as a central element of its visual identity since the early 1990s, tying the badge directly to the city’s centuries-old folklore. [1]
Design and History
The current Benevento Calcio crest dates to 2005, when the club was refounded under its present name. The emblem takes the form of an ancient French shield with yellow and red vertical stripes (a palato pattern), closed at the top by a curved red ribbon that carries the club’s name. At the center of the shield is the silhouette of a witch in flight, riding a broomstick. [2]
Before this version, the club’s visual identity went through several distinct phases. The earliest Sporting Benevento crest featured a stereotyped sorcerer figure, which was later replaced by an abstract depiction of a witch on a broomstick. [2] In 2002, the crest evolved to include the classic witch figure with a pointed hat and curved nose, before the current silhouette was adopted in 2005. [3]
Earlier iterations of the club’s badge drew on other local symbols. In the 1950s and 1960s, versions of the logo featured a wild boar, an element borrowed from the coat of arms of the city of Benevento. [4] The yellow and red vertical stripes, which have remained a constant of the club’s identity since the mid-1960s, were already present in these earlier designs. [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The witch in the Benevento crest is a direct reference to the legends of the witches of Benevento, which date back to 13th-century Italian folklore. [1] The city’s association with witchcraft has deep historical roots, and the club’s nickname, Gli Stregoni, reflects this connection. [3]
The red and yellow color scheme is also tied to a local tradition. According to one account, the colors pay tribute to Liquore Strega (Witch Liquor), a famous herbal liqueur produced in Benevento that also lends its name to a major Italian literary award. [5] The club’s social colors were not always yellow and red; the earliest Benevento teams played in blue before the current palette was adopted. [6]
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