Basilicata
Basilicata is located in the very southern part of Italy and is one of the least populated areas in Italy. Basilicata borders with Campania and Naples to the northwest, Puglia to the northeast and Calabria to the South.
Matera is Basilicata’s star attraction. Known as “la Città Sotterranea” (the Subterranean City), Matera is famous for its historical center called “Sassi” (former cave dwellings), which are considered the longest-occupied cave dwellings inhabited since prehistoric times and become part of UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1993. The dense network of caves, dug out of the rock by shepherds to shelter their family and livestock, are thought to be among the first-ever human settlements in Italy.
Olives, flavorful vegetables, and legumes, including Sarconi beans and Senise peppers, are extensively cultivated in Basilicata, which boast rich agricultural traditions
Capital – Potenza
Potenza is both a city and a province. It overlooks the valley of the Basento river in the Apennine Mountains of Lucania east of Salerno. It is surrounded by a few kilometres of the Tyrrhenian Sea and bordered by Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and the province of Matera to the east, and Calabria to the south.
Potenza was ravaged by the Second World War and many earthquakes. The city was once surrounded by an ancient wall used for protection from invaders. Although the wall was destroyed three original gates still exist It contains many interesting sights: the cathedral of San Gerardo, renovated in the 18th century, the church of San Francesco, founded in 1274, which houses the De Grasis sepulcher and a Madonna in Byzantine style (13th century), the Torre Guevara and the Palazzo Goffredo.
Foods of Basilicata
Canestrato di Moliterno
Made from goat or sheep’s milk.
Pecorino Basilicata
A hard cheese made with raw sheep milk.
Cacioricotta Basilicata
A cross between cheese and fresh ricotta.
Rafanata
Horseradish frittata with eggs, potatoes, stale bread, and pecorino cheese.
Lucania Sausage
Made with pork, fat, spices, peperoni, and fennel seeds.
Melanzana Rossa di Rotonda
A red eggplant preserved in oil or vinegar.
Peperoni Cruschi
Flakes of crumbled fried heirloom peppers grown in Senise.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Basilicata
The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera
Matera
This site comprises two districts of Matera, with cave dwellings that have been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age. People inhabited the natural caves in the karst plateau of Murge and later started carving and building more elaborate structures, including churches, monasteries, and hermitages. The Romanesque Matera Cathedral dates to the 13th century.
