The municipality is located in the centre of the Valle Telesina, to the right of the Calore Irpino river.
The town has origins dating back to the ancient Roman city of Telesia.
In 1349, an earthquake seriously affected the town and caused the release of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide that made the air unbreathable. The inhabitants abandoned the old town and settled in the present residential centre.
Telese was a feud of the Gaetano family, the Lagonessa family from 1487, the Caracciolo family from 1540 and finally the Grimaldi family, who aggregated it to the feud of Solopaca and held it until the abolition of the feudal system in 1806.
In the 19th century, post-earthquake phenomena of 1349 were studied on the waters flowing from Mount Pugliano; the waters were rich in sulphur but it was established that they were not harmful to humans. Thus, from 1876, industrial spas were developed, which favoured the development of a new town, reaching 7700 inhabitants today.
In 1992, the municipality changed its name from ‘Telese’ to ‘Telese Terme’.