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Basilicata
Matera Potenza
BASILICATA: Area: 9,994.61 km² Population: 576,619 Provinces: 2 Municipalities: 131 In this land I explored Matera, a city where there is something to discover around every corner and it makes you proud to be Italian; the Murgia with the golden colors of the fields and its villages perched on the hills, and finally the Ionian coast with its blue sea and large white sandy beaches. And not to forget that this land was part of Magna Graecia, a few kilometers from the coast, between the Bradano and Basento rivers, lies the archaeological site of Metaponto. The strong point of Basilicata is its landscape, and I still have to see the Potentino, the Tyrrhenian beaches overlooking the Gulf of Policastro, the Pollino National Park. My favorite dish from Lucanian cuisine is Crapiata, a rich soup of legumes and vegetables; Fave e Cicorie is also exquisite. The Matera bread is excellent, as is the fruit, especially the pink figs from Pisticci and the strawberries from Policoro. Among the wines I recommend a red: Primitivo di Matera.
Province of Matera
Area: 3479.35 km² Population: 189,098 Municipalities: 31
travel stories...
Matera
Metaponto
Montescaglioso
The City of Stones, a UNESCO World Heritage site, did not disappoint my expectations. I parked easily in the new part of town, and within a few steps I was in the historic center where the very narrow streets blend into private courtyards, and the view makes you feel like you are part of a huge nativity scene. Given the gloomy day, I found shelter in the many churches and the hours quickly passed before my eyes, captivated by so much beauty. In the evening I went to dinner in one of those little restaurants carved into the rock; copper ladles and large old keys on the walls, and a candle and plant on the table. In this romantic atmosphere, I enjoyed a bowl of fava bean soup served with warm bread croutons, accompanied by a glass of Primitivo from Lucania. Then a walk to the Cathedral where, standing on a terrace, the thousands of lights illuminating the old village filled my heart with emotion. I will return!
This excursion to Metapontum, a site of Magna Graecia, gets off on the wrong foot. When I arrive in front of the Archaeological Park, I find it closed. From the low fence you can see something, and take some photos of the remains of the ancient city dating back to the 4th century BC; from afar it is difficult to admire what remains of the temples and the semicircular theater. I move a few kilometers to the area of the Tavole Palatine. There, yes, I fill my eyes with so much beauty surrounded by the columns of what was once the Temple of the goddess Hera. Unfortunately, the columns, made of limestone, have suffered from the wear and tear of time; five remain standing on one side and ten on the other; this did not prevent a telenovela from being filmed on the site using a drone; a sign that this place still evokes emotions. In the evening, then, passing along the Ionian highway, I saw the columns illuminated; spectacular!
Of these lands visited on a sunny summer afternoon, I remember an insect sting, perhaps a bee, near the Montescaglioso sign. Surrounded by fields of magnificent colors, the town is perched on a hill and is part of the Regional Park of the Matera Murgia. The village contains numerous churches, but you have to cross it entirely to reach the site that earned it the nickname "jewel": the Benedictine Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo; from up there you can overlook much of the Bradano river valley; you can feel an atmosphere of serenity just by walking along the cloisters, but you need to continue the visit inside and especially to the crypt to understand the importance of this monastery. I am planning to return for Easter when, on the occasion of Holy Week, there are many original religious and folkloric events; in that case, I will rewrite the story with the emotions of the moment.
Marina di Nova Siri
Policoro
Scanzano Jonico
I was on the highway for a week in Southern Italy. Without a reservation, as I often do, calling here and there, all the hotels I had noted before leaving were full. Except in Policoro. I ended up there by chance and had a good experience. The first thing that strikes you are the Walled Gardens, which are very well maintained. In the center is Piazza Eraclea: on one side there is the modern Church of Maria Santissima del Ponte with its pure white facade; white is the predominant color in the square. On the other three sides, it was pleasant to stroll with an ice cream under illuminated arcades. In the center of the square there is a statue depicting Hercules (Eraclea is the ancient name of the city) fighting with the lion. I also saw the Baronial Palace, once the residence of the noble Berlingieri family, now home to elegant restaurants. The beach, my favorite place in the afternoons, is very wide and has very light sand. The color of the sea is a pale blue.
I have always been curious to get to know this town ever since, in 2003, the government at the time decided that the town would be the storage center for Italian nuclear waste. The brave inhabitants of this small village opposed the regime at the time, preventing this outrage. The area designated for radioactive waste is called Terzo Cavone, and today it is a beautiful beach with fine sand and crystal-clear sea. To get there, you walk quite a bit through a large pine forest, then rest your feet in this soft sand before diving into the warm waters of the Ionian Sea. Among the monuments of this decidedly modern seaside town, I would mention the Church of the Assumption, built in the mid-twentieth century, and the nineteenth-century Baronial Palace. All around is countryside, which, amid the chirping of crickets, produces many delicacies. First among them are the strawberries, which compete on equal footing with those typical of Policoro.
I arrived in the afternoon at this beach club. I took off my shoes and walked on the sand between the beach resorts all the way to the sea, which was a bit rough that day; walking westward, after a few hundred meters, where the beach is free and a bit wild, I reached the border with the Calabria region. There were no signs but Maps told me I had one foot in one region and one in the other. Anyway, I didn't end up in this place by chance. In the evening, after much anticipation, there was the Loredana Bertè concert. That day the seafront was dotted with stalls and street food. A pizza in one of the many small restaurants on the beach and I was ready, along with hundreds of people, to attend the event. And off to the concert with "E la luna bussò", "Il mare d'inverno", "Sei bellissima" up to the current hit "Non ti dico no", for a magical evening.