Basilicata

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The southern Italian region of Basilicata borders onabove the Sinni River valley, and the nearby lone
Campania to the west, Puglia (Apulia) to the east, andchurch of S. Maria d'Anglona. While there are good
Calabria to the south, and has a short coastline on thehotels in Matera, staying in the rock dwellings is a very
Tyrrhenian Sea and another on the Gulf of Taranto indifferent experience, and hotels like Hotel Sant'Angelo,
the Ionian Sea to the southeast. While it’s notmade up of 16 historical dwellings that have been
the first place you might think of for a holiday in Italy,reformed into living areas, include all mod cons. Another
the region has a special charm that is slowly beingaccommodation alternative in the old town is one of
discovered by visitors who are keen to get awaythe many B&Bs where you’ll have a
from the more touristy parts of Italy.chance to interact with locals and enjoy delicious home
Basilicata offers stunning arid mountain scenery andcooking.
inland villages, perched on the hills, where time seemsPotenza, the capital of Basilicata, is of pre-Roman
to have stood still. On the coast there are charmingorigins, and its Saint Gerard Cathedral was rebuilt at
villages and seaside resorts such as Lido di Metaponto,the end of the 1700s. The city’s Provincial
with its archaeological relics, Marina di Pisticci, Lido diArcheological Museum houses an important prehistoric
Scanzano, and Lido di Policoro. Remains of the Romancollection, an interesting ethnographic section, and
Era can be seen in Venosa along with medieval art.numerous Greek and Roman treasures including the
Basilicata is divided into two provinces: Potenza andTempietto and the Statuina di Persefone.
Matera.One of Potenza province’s most historic towns,
Matera and the sassiRivello, set on a strategic ridge that overlooks the
In Matera, the Ridola National Museum holds PaleolithicNoce Valley and Mount Sirino, has a fascinating
relics and ceramics that date back to the Neolithic,mixture of Longobard and Byzantine architecture. Also
Bronze and Iron ages. Just outside the city areworth visiting are the Convent of Sant’Antonio
distinctive ancient settlements, known as sassi, thatda Padova and Santa Barbara’s Church. The
have been declared a World Heritage Site. TheseByzantine Church of San Michele dei Greci features a
well–preserved settlements have been cut fromNeapolitan school polyptych dating from 1614.
rock and include over 100 rock churches fromThe Vulture area
Greek-Byzantine Monastic civilizations. Important sassiIn the north of the province of Potenza, fertile soils
include Montescaglioso, with its commanding medievalallow the cultivation of excellent grapes and olives.
Abbey of S. Angelo; Miglionico, known for its fineHere the two beautiful lakes of Monticchio lie within an
Norman castle;old volcano, not far from the two castles of Frederick II
Irsina, famous for the 12th century Monastery of S.of Swabia at Castel Lagopesole and Melfi. The
Francesco, its crypt decorated with fine frescoes;Norman S.
Tricarico, with its medieval religious buildings; Pisticci,