Abano di Lucania

A few kilometers away is Albano di Lucania, once a Lombard bastion against the Sara­cens, conserves the church of Santa Maria Assunta, built in the 13^th century, similar to San Michele in Potenza, but restyled (the stone bell-tower, however, is original); inside are parts of 13th and 14th century fres­coes, a Madonna del Rosario by Pietrafesa (17^th cen­tury) and an Ultima Cena of the school of Teodoro d'Errico. In the church of the Annunziata Pietro Anto­nio Ferro (I17th century) painted an Annunciazione. As in many other small villages the mansions have charac­teristic stone doorways. In Contrada Difesa, the 17^th century chapel of the Madonna del Gesu is adorned with a 15^th century statue.

Abriola

Approximately 8 km from the Sellata Pass Abriola, of ancient Arab foundation, has maintained a tower and parts of the mediaeval walls. It was the home of Giovanni and Gerolamo Todisco, painters who, between the 16^th and 17^th centuries, were prominent in the region's artistic life. In the baroque main church of Santa Maria Maggiore is a Madonna col Bambino, of the 15^th century, and paintings by Pie­trafesa. In the 16^th century church of San Gerardo Gio­vanni Todisco painted the Madonna con Bambino, profeti e santi below the triumphal arch. The church of the Annunziata, completely frescoed in the 17^th century, in the same period was subjected to a bizarre alteration, with the transfer of the entrance to the apse.

Accettura

Descending again from Pietrapertosa towards the Basento River, you take the road skirting the buttresses of the La Croccia and Malerba mountains in the splen­did Gallipoli Cognato forest. You come to Accettura, a village born in the 10^th century when other settlements, including Gallipoli (the ruins of a tower, walls and dwellings stand isolated in the woods) were abandoned. In the old part of Accettura, the Scarrone district, are lovely 18th century doorways, the church of the Annunziata and the parish, church of Sun Nicola, with its characteristic dome. Remains and relics of the 4^th-3rd century B.C. have been found on various areas of high ground nearby such as the Tempa del Monte or Serra Antica.

Acerenza

Taking the SS 96 to Pietragalla, after 13 kilometers you come to the turning for Acerenza, a village set in a splendid position on a rock sustained by major consolidation works, between the Bradano and Fiumarella valleys. Inhabited since prehistoric times, conquered by the Romans in 318, it is mentioned by Horace as Acheruntia. The consul Valerius Laevinus came here after the defeat inflicted at Heraclea in 280 B.C. by Pyrrhus. It was then contested by the Byzan­tines, Lombards and Normans: its fortunes and artistic wealth are bound to those of the Episcopal see, estab­lished in early Christian times and turned into a metropolitan diocese in the II¹¹' century.

 

This explains the presence of the splendid cathedral of the Assunta e di San Canio, the latter the patron of the town, a bishop martyr of Juliano in Africa, whose body was allegedly brought to Italy by Christians fleeing from the advancing Arabs. The church is one of the most important architectural monuments in Basilicata. It was built at the wish of Bishop Godano; come from the monastery of Cluny, he and Bishop Arnaldo brought refined French art tastes to these lands. Founded in the 11^th century and renewed in 1281, the construction is in Romanesque-gothic style: the facade was restyled in the 16^th century and lost the left-hand tower, except for the base, now the entrance to the Museum. The 12th century middle doorway resembles Apulian Romanesque style, with two marble columns on figured pedestals, decorated with a weave of vegetables, animals and men. The best-conserved parts of the church are the transept and the apse (trefoil and closed with two small towers) with spiral columns from the ancient baldachin used for decoration. Restoration in 1934 replaced the original cylindrical dome, destroyed by an earthquake, with an octagonal one.

 

Inside it has a basilica plan; the choir is surrounded by the ambulatory, a passage that runs behind the main altar along the apse, typical of churches that attract pil­grims, to allow the worshippers to walk around the saints' relics. In the right transept is a Madonna del Rosario con i Misteri by Antonio Stabile (1583), in the left one a Deposizione, by the same artist.

 

The crypt beneath the raised presbytery was at the beginning of the 16^th century altered by the feudatories Maria Balsa and Giacomo Antonio Ferillo (this is why it is known as the Ferillo chapel) to accommodate the remains of San Canio, and is considered one of the finest examples of Lucanian renaissance style. Square in shape, the vaults are decorated with paintings por­traying the Evangelisti, Dottori Della Chiesa, Apostoli and other saints. The portraits in the trabeation are probably of Maria Balsa, Matteo and Alfonso Ferillo. On the altar against the back wall a niche with sculpted panels contains the Ferillo tomb, decorated with puttos and emblems, attributed to an artist of Lombard taste, one of those at the court of Naples in the 15^th and 16th centuries.

 

In the small Museum to the left of the entrance to the cathedral are sculpted and ceramic finds of various peri­ods, including a portrait of Giuliano I'Apostata, the 4th century emperor who returned to paganism: the image, ironically, was originally mistaken for that of San Canio and placed at the top of the church's facade. Among the other monuments, a visit should include the convent of Sant'Antonio, the cylindrical tower that belonged to the Belmonte castle, the Museo dei Legni Intagliati (Carved Wood Museum), the fountain of San Marco and the doorways of some elegant baroque mansions.

Anzi

Along the SS 92, past the La Terra, fiumara, you turn off for Anzi set around the remains of a castle. The center was already inhabited in prehistoric times and evidence of the passage of various peoples, attracted by its position on the transhumance routes and trade has been found here. The main church of San Giuliano was built in the 19^th century with the demolition of the previous one although the baroque furnishings and a P^-century bust-relic of the saint were kept. The Romanesque-gothic church of Santa Lucia has a fine portal. At the top of the village, in an isolated position, the chapel of Santa Maria conserves a portal of 1536, a cycle of frescoes by Giovanni Todisco (1555) and the polyptych of the Madonna del Rosario, on the main altar, attributed to Michele Monchelli. An Iron Age necropolis has been found on the site of the ancient Anxia and the contents are in the Potenza Provincial Archaeological Museum.

 

Returning from Anzi towards the La Terra fiumara, fol­low the valley passing the lake of Ponte Fontanelle to come to Castelmezzano, in a very harsh mountainous area. The scenery is very different from that in other parts of Basilicata: this is the heart of the Lucanian Dolomites, thus called because to some extent they resemble the Alpine Dolomites. Consisting in sand­stone, not dolomite, they rise in a number of spectacular spires, towers and rocky peaks, aligned to form the val­ley and the gorge of the Caperrino River. Together with the extensive surrounding region, covered with woods, they are part of the Gallipoli Cognato and Lucanian Dolomites Regional Nature Park, which stretches along the course of the upper Basento for a total of 27 027 hectares, touching the five communes of Castelmez­zano and Pietrapertosa, in the province of Potenza, Accettura, Calciano and Oliveto Lucano in the province of Matera.

Atella

Continue to Atella, amidst the hills, founded in 1316 by Robert I of Anjou to repopulate an area abandoned after the Ghibelline rebellions and con­sequent repression in 1268. The peasants and shepherds of Rionero were "asked" to move to the new free vil­lage, privileged by having legally come under the direct ownership of the sovereign.

 

After the 1980 earthquake, which caused serious dam­age, the 14^th century Cathedral of Santa Maria ad Nives with a fine stone portal and many works of art, was restored. Other monuments are the tower of the Angevin castle; the Convent and the Church of the Benedictines; the Church of Santa Lucia, of 14^th century origin, but altered in the 19^th century. To the north, on the road to the Monticchio lakes, is the former monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli, now abandoned, with a lovely 13^th century doorway. Continue towards the two Monticchio lakes, which occupy an extinct crater on mount Vulture, divided only by an isthmus, in splendid wooded surroundings. Lake Piccolo is a regional nature reserve, which can also be crossed by boat to admire the numerous water lilies. Near the isthmus are the remains of the church of Sant'lppolito, built in different periods, between the 10^th century and 1456 when an earthquake forced the Bene­dictine monks to abandon it.

 

In a dominant position over the lakes stands the former abbey of San Michele, or Sant'Angelo del Vulture, the object of pilgrimages, born around Basilian hermitages of the 10^th century and passed to the Benedictines first and then the Capuchins. The church is of the 18¹¹' cen­tury but conserves a shrine of San Michele, a small niche with Byzantine frescoes.

 

The immense forest surrounding the lakes all belongs to the State and can be visited along the pedestrian routes marked. In this zone is the Grotticelle specialized nature reserve, the first example in Italy of an area set up to protect an insect, the Bremen europea moth, common in Asia and Africa but present in Europe only in these parts, where it was discovered in 1963. Not far away, at Monticchio Bagni, are active modern establishments for the bottling of mineral waters.

Avigliano

Leave Potenza on the state road (SS) 7 (Via Appia) and turn northwards, coming in just over 18 km to Avigliano situated on a rise near mount Carmine. Of ancient origin, the town gave refuge to the Ghibellines pursued by Charles of Anjou and never belied its liberal spirit; the republican uprising of Jan­uary 1799 started here. Among the monuments to visit are the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli or dei Riformati, with a late Baroque facade, carved altars and a statue of the Madonna del Carmine. This is a greatly venerated picture, which for the grazing season, in the middle of July, is carried in procession to the sanctuary of the same name, 9 km to the north-east, where it remains until mid September to protect the flocks and their shepherds. Traditional crafts in this area are wood­work and rug weaving.

Balvano

Proceeding beyond Capo di Giano, you skirt the Muro fiumara and, where this meets the Platano River; descend on the road dominated by mount Armi towards the La Rossa masseria, from where you can reach Balvano, in the Sele basin. Of Lom­bard origin, dominated by the ruins of the Norman cas­tle, after the damage inflicted by the 1980 earthquake it courageously chose to be reborn with a new, modem imprint. The church and the convent of Sant'Antonio have been restored.

Banzi

From Palazzo San Gervasio head towards Banzi and Genzano passing through the Banzullo Nature Park along the way meeting the Nocella spring, which for some is the fons Bandusia sung by Horace (according to others identified in the Bello spring situated in the Licenza river valley).

 

Banzi is situated on a hill above the Fiumarella River. Inhabited since prehistoric times and mentioned by the Latins as Bantia, this is where Hanni­bal defeated the consuls Marcellus and Crispinus. Its importance in Roman times was bound to the fact that the Via Herculia, the road from Venosa to Grumentum, passed here. There are thirty or so archaeological sites on its municipal territory, including a Daunian house, in Contrada Cimitero and Roman one in Contrada Montelupino. Here the Benedictines of Montecassino founded the first abbey of Basilicata, around which the mediaeval village developed. The remains of the com­plex are in the center of the village and date from the 12^th- 15^th centuries.

 

The parish church of Santa Maria was consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1089, remodeled in the 14^th century and again in the 18^th, a 14^th century panel on the main altar portrays the Vergine col Bambino. An exceptional document concerning Banzi is con­served in the Naples National Museum: this is the Ta-vola di Bantia, a bronze slab of the 1^st century B.C., found in the late 18^th century, which is a rare example of Oscan tongue written in Latin characters and containing the town's statutes.

Baragiano

High above the fiumaras of Tito and d'lsca, Baragiano is the ancient casale Baresanum, with an old center on a rise and the modem part lower down, around the railway terminus. Of interest are the 16^th century chapel of San Rocco and that of the Annunziata of the same period, built with blocks of sandstone taken from the remains of walls of a settlement dating from the 5^th or 6^th century B.C., come to light at Braida together with other finds of the 8^th century B.C.

Barile

Back on the SS 93, proceeding northwards, you come to Barile, another center of Alba­nian culture, the name of which apparently derives from barrale or barellum, a term which indicated duty paid on flocks. Of interest here are the caves dug into the tufa, once inhabited and now used as cellars for the age­ing of Aglianico wine. Among the monuments are the baroque fountain of the Staccato', the church of the Ma­donna delle Grazie and the chapel of the Madonna di Costantinopoli, a kilometer from the village.

Bella

Moving westwards through a remote mountain environ­ment you come to Bella, a resort on the spurs of mount Santa Croce, with multi-colored houses arranged around the Aragonese castle. The church of the Madonna delta Graye houses a polyptych of the 16^th century and a fresco of the same period by Giovanni Todisco. The village is home to the Lucanian Zoo technical Institute, which studies and promotes modern methods of stock-rearing, one of the region's oldest activities. Approximately 14 km away, on mount Santa Croce, is a hermit's cave hidden in the woods.

Brienza

Continue through enchanting scenery to come out on the SS 95: 7 km away, Brienza is another resort in a scenic position, high above the Per­gola River. A Lombard and Norman stronghold called Burguntia; it conserves a mediaeval center damaged by ancient and recent earthquakes, with the ruins of the Angevin castle, restructured in the 16^th century by the Caracciolo brothers. This was the home of Mario Pagano, the hero of the 1799 republican revolution, put to death in Naples. A monument in bronze is dedicated to him in Largo Municipio, on which also stands the baroque former convent of the Annunziata, now the Town Hall, and the annexed church, which conserves paintings of the Michelangelo school.

Brindisi Montagna

Return to the Basentana road and drive for a few kilometers through beautiful scenery to come to the turning on the left for Brindisi Montagna, a fortified village that was probably founded by Greek settlers come from Puglia and was repopulated in the 16^th century by Albanian communities. In the south of the village a square tower and considerable ruins remain of a castle of Lombard origin.

 

In the Grancia wood a visit can be made to me ruins of the monastery of San Lorenzo, subordinate to the abbey of Padula in Campania: a square tower, doorway and a fireplace remain.

Calvello

After passing the Marsicano river and having crossed the slope that climbs to mount Figarola (1114 m) you come to Calvello, near the bank of the La Terra, fiumara, famous for its eels. A farming and stock-rearing center, the village has been known since the 16^th century for the manufacture of textiles and pot­tery. The church of Santa Maria del Piano, of the 12^th century, annexed to a former Franciscan convent con­serves portals carved by Melchiorre di Montalbano in the mid 13^th century and a sculpted image of the Vergine col Bambino of the 14^th century, which is highly venerated. Of the ancient castle only the ruins remain. In the area, which boasts sulphurous mineral water springs, excursions can be made to the sanctuary of the Madonna Potentissima and mount Volturino: from the top (1836 m) there is a splendid view. For winter there are excellent ski slopes here.

Cancellara

From Vaglio, going over the Serra Coppoli pass, you can proceed northwest to Cancellara, situated on a hill and dominated by a mediaeval castle. The chapel of Sant'Antonio, with frescoes of the 15ih - 16th centuries, the church of Santa Maria del Car­mine and that of the Annunziata all deserve a visit. Also in the Cancellara area, at Serra del Carmine, an impor­tant necropolis of the 6^th-5^th century B.C. has been found with tombs containing pottery of Greek or Apulian importation.

Castel Lagopesole

Leaving Potenza on the SS 93, you quickly come to one of the emperor Frederick II's most famous castles: Castel Lagopesole, the name of which perhaps stems from Lacus Pensilis. Situated in the Vitalba valley, near a village, the building stands solitary on a rise, sur­rounded by the Coste Castello Nature Reserve, a 23-hectare wood.

 

Recorded in 1137 as the place where Lothair II of Sax­ony, Pope Innocent II and Abbot Rinaldo of Monte-cassino met, the castle was restructured by Frederick in the last years of his life, between 1242 and 1250. It has a rectangular plan, with corner towers, divided into two parts: the first around a courtyard of honor, the other dominated by the keep. Passed to the Angevins in 1416, it was given to the Caracciolo family and in the 16^th century to the Dorias. Now it is state property and has been used as a temporary museum for that salvaged after the 1980 earthquake.

Castelgrande

To the south, along the Via Appia, you come to Castel­grande also known as Castelgrandine, perched to the east of the Muro fiumara and inhab­ited since the 5^th century B.C., of which time remain traces of a settlement and megalithic walls. Dominated by the ruins of the Angevin castle and the main church of the Assunta, damaged by the earthquake of 1980, the village is the base for excursions to the mountains and woods, for instance to the peaks of the Toppo di Castel­grande, the Giani, Paratiello, Carruozzo mountains or to the artificial Lake Saetta, near which is the Singao astronomical observatory. To the southwest is the church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli rebuilt in the 17^th cen­tury and conserving a fine wooden altar.

Castelmezzano

You arrive at Castelmezzano pass­ing the gorge of the Caperrino River through a sandstone tunnel. An exciting spectacle appears to the visitor: the village seems almost to be clutching the west side of the Costa di San Martino slope, all pinnacles and peaks, opposite Pietrapertosa, beyond the valley. A former Lombard fortress, it was occupied by the Saracens; destroyed in a reprisal, it passed to the Normans and then to a succession of feudatories.

 

The main church, built in the 13th century, conserves a 14th century wooden statue of the Madonna col Bam­bino and a Sacra Famiglia painted by Gerolamo Bresciano. Nearby stand the remains of the castrum media-num (or middle castle), which gave the village its name j and was thus called because placed between those of Pietrapertosa and Albano.

Church of San Lorenzo in Tufara

Approximately 2 km to the northeast you can visit the Church of San Lorenzo in Tufara, once annexed to an important Benedictine abbey founded in the 11^th cen­tury, of which but a few ruins remain. The 13^th century church, by Maestri Francesco and Paolo, is similar to the structure with nave and two aisles on pillars of San­ta Maria di Pierno. Altered in the 16^th century, it con­serves a triumphal arch, the apses and the stone door­way of the older construction.

Corleto Perticara

On the SS 103, after crossing the Cerreto watercourse, you come to the resort of Corleto Perticara the remains of an important settlement dat­ing from the 8^th – 6^th century B.C. were found on its terri­tory, at Serra d'Eboli.

Filiano

Climb towards Filiano, a village with a central nucleus, seven hamlets and 35 districts. Its name, an apparent reference to wool spinning, is a reminder that this used to be a shepherds' village. In 1965, at Tuppo di Sassi, northeast of the village, prehistoric shelters were found dug into the sandstone, dating from the Mesolithic period. One of these is painted with red ochre figures of animals, vegetation and hunting scenes.

Forenza

Forenza is a picturesque village, set on a hill that dominates the Murge and Tavoliere of Puglia. It takes its name from the ancient Apulian settle­ment of Forentum, which was nearer Lavello. Under the Swabians and Angevins it was a town regia, later made into a feud. Of particular interest are the church of the Annunziata (12th-13th century) with a stone portal, housing the precious statue of Santa Maria dei Longobardi, and the. Parish church of San Nicola, with a Romanesque por­tal. Lower down, a visit should be made to the Capuchin convent, with a magnificent wooden crucifix with the Vergine e san Giovanni, the convent of San Biagio and the rock church of San Biagio, of Basilian origin, with remains of Byzantine frescoes.

Genzano di Lucania

Near the lake of the same name, Genzano di Lucania has an old center situated on a rise surrounded on three sides by valleys. Probably founded by the inhabitants of the ancient Roman pagus Gentianum, in a strategic position, it became Byzantine before then passing to the Normans. The palace which is today the town hall was, until 1806, the home of the feudato­ries; the classic-style Cavallina fountain was erected at its foot, using a headless statue of the goddess Ceres, of the 1^st century B.C. The main church of Santa Maria delta Platea is named after a Madonna col Bambino sculpted in stone, of the early 16^th century, the same period as a polyptych of Venetian hand. The church of the Annunziata, with octagonal bell-tower, on the edge of the old center, was adapted at the end of the 12^th cen­tury as a place of worship for the monastery of the Poor Clares, founded by Aquilina Sancia, the local Lady. The monastery is in ruin but the church was restyled in the late 16^th century and given a lovely renaissance door­way; inside it conserves a gilded wooden pulpit, a Sacra Famiglia by Paolo de Maio and a detached fresco of the 15^th century.

 

A 13 km detour to the east leads to the ruins of the Cas­tle of Monte Serico, dating from the 11th century, where the Normans defeated the Byzantines in 1041. Readapted by Frederick II, it housed the Apulian Office of the Masserie. It is shaped like a parallelepiped and has a square tower. Below it do Basilian monks and the remains of a convent once inhabit caves.

Ginestra

Moving east you come to Ripacandida, which takes its name from the whitish hill it stands on. Inhabited from the 7^th to 4^th centuries B.C., it was fortified by the Lombards and during the middle Ages came under the rule of various feudatories. In 1861 the legitimist movement was born here. Its cathe­dral is H^-century; the church of San Donate con­serves a painted cycle of the 15^th century. The Bosco dei Piscioni, 212 hectares of State reserve, lies on its terri­tory, famous for the production of oil and wine, and that of Castel Lagopesole.

Grassano

Return to the Via Appia amidst vines, wheat fields, woods and olive groves to come to Grassano lying on the Sella Mortella hill. In the past this village owed its fortunes to the presence of the order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. They made it a model agricultural village, capable of organizing a wheat mountain, which lent seed to peasants in difficulty. In the 19^th century, the surrounding woods offered refuge to bands of robbers. In the upper part of the village, from the parvis of the main baroque church of San Giovanni Battista there is a sweeping view; in the lower part the former 17^lh-century convent of the Minorites houses the Town Hall. The so-called Giardini Piccoli confirms an age-old local tradi­tion of farming, orchards in the Basento valley that can be admired as you travel west.

Grottole

After leaving Miglionico and all its memories you return along the Via Appia (SS 7) through ilex and oak trees to Grottole, an ancient village on the watershed between the Bradano and Basento Basins. The name apparently derives from Criptulae, small prehistoric caves that still exist at the foot of the village. Towering above the houses is the cupola of an 18th century church remained incomplete and known as the Chiesa Caduta. Visit the main church of Santi Luca e Giuliano, of the late 17^th century and the church of San Rocco, formerly Santa Maria la Grotta, of the 16th century; outside the village, in the Fosso Magno wood, is the sanctuary of Sant’Antuono. Archaeological finds have been made in the area concerning the Lucanian, Hellenistic and Roman civilizations.

Guardia Perticara

Twelve kilometers away Guardia Perticara has a very troubled history. The small village was reached and destroyed by the Saracens in the 10^th century and was later repeatedly reconstructed and abandoned. It houses are huddled between narrow streets and steps. Standing in the square are Palazzo Montana and the main church of San Nicola di Bari, rebuilt after the 1857 earthquake: the doorway bears a bas-relief in stone depicting the patron saint, retrieved from the ancient building. In the Valley bottom the church of Santa Maria di Sauro was rebuilt in the 18^th century and houses a 14^th century statue of the Vergine col Bambino. At Tempa are the remains of the town of Turri, abandoned in the 16^th century.

Irsina

Still on the SS 96 you pass through intensely fanned areas that alternate with olive groves. Descend into the Bradano valley and continue northwards to come to Irsina, a farming and craft center called Montepeloso until 1895, when it readopted the ancient name, Irtium or Irsum, of an Oenotrian and Lucanian settlement destroyed in 988 by the Saracens and later the front line of the Princedom of Salerno against the Byzantine world. An Episcopal see since 1123, it conserves the cathedral of the Assunta dating from the 13^th century, but restructured in the 18^th cen­tury, which has conserves the original bell-tower and a bare facade with renaissance doorway; inside are paint­ings by the Neapolitan school of the 16th and 17^th cen­turies; a statue in polychrome stone of Sant'Eufemia, attributed to Mantegna, is kept in the chapel to the right of the main altar. The church of San Francesco, rebuilt in the 16^th century, has an interesting crypt, created in the 13^th century in the base of a square tower and fres­coed by a master of the Neapolitan school of the late 14^th century. An elegant 17^th century mansion houses the lanora museum containing the collections of the his­torian Michele lanora: prehistoric items and others from various periods found locally, coins, arms and 18^th cen­tury female costumes.

Lake San Giuliano

Leaving the village and the SS 96, follow the road that descends along the Bradano valley, through the heights of the Irsi mountains, to come to the Oasis of Lake San Giuliano, in the commune of Miglionico, a nature reserve of a thousand or so hectares created on the banks of an artificial lake, the first to be made in Basilicata (in 1957). Reforestation has succeeded in creating an ecosystem that attracts and supports many migratory birds. Since 1976 the Oasis has been entrusted to the World Wildlife Foundation, which also runs the Visitor Center at the masseria Zagarella, a building constructed in the mid 19^th century around a large threshing court.

Laurenzana

From Corleto head north in the Poresta Lata towards Laurenzana which has an ancient center situated on a spur sheer above the road. A tower dominates the vil­lage, the remains of a castle and the main church of the Assunta, rebuilt in the 18^th century with marble altars and in sculpted wood. Con­served here is the body of the blessed Egidio di Lauren­zana and a 17th century polyptych with the Madonna e santi. The cloister of the former convent of Santa Maria ad Nives is decorated with frescoes of the 15¹¹¹ and 16^th centuries. Not far from the village, to the southwest, you can enter the Nature Reserve of Abetina di Laurenzana, 800 hectares of silver fir, beech and maple trees. Guided tours must be arranged with the WWF head office in Potenza.

Lavello

From Rapolla, on the SS 93, past the artificial Lake Abate Alonia, you come to Lavello, of very ancient origin, the name of which derives from Labellum, or drinking trough, in memory of its position on the transhumance route between Ofanto and the Venosa fiumara. Already inhabited in Neolithic times, Lavello shared all Melfi's political changes. In the 15^th century it too received an influx of Albanian refugees who settled in the village outside the walls. The Town Hall is in a part of the castle, of Norman ori­gin; among the churches are the main church of San Mauro e Sant'Anna, of the 16^th century, and the church of the Carmine.

Marsico Nuovo

Following the SS 598 to the north, towards Brienza, you come to Marsico Nuovo (865 m, pop. 5339), a farming center which was pre-Hellenic, as demon­strated by archaeological finds, and became one of the most important Lombard strongholds, refounded in the 7^th century by the inhabitants of Marsicovetere.

The old center has elegant 17th century mansions, including Palazzo Pignatelli, now the Town Hall. The Romanesque church of San Michele with a fine 13^th century doorway conserves in its baroque interior a fresco of the Battesimo di Cristo, of the 12^th-13^th cen­tury. The doorway of the church of San Gianuario, patron saint of the village, was carved by Melchiorre di Montalbano (13^th century), also responsible for the four capitals that support the baroque choir. The church also houses a stone bust of the 14^th century, depicting Gianuario. The 1980 earthquake damaged the impressive cathedral of San Giorgio, restyled in the 19th century. The n^-century former convent of San Francesco has been turned into a parish hall. Near the Agri riverbed is the sanctuary of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli, with 16^th century frescoes. Very pleasant excursions can be made to Lake Marsico Nuovo, reached through the Laura wood, and to the Maddalena refuge (1332 m).

Marsicovetere

After passing the sanctuary of the Madonna di Monte Saraceno (1319 m) descend to Marsicovetere in the Agri catchment basin. The village is one of the highest settlements in the region, facing the spectacle offered by the Maddalena Mountains, on the border with Vallo di Diano in Campania, and by mount Sirino, in the upper Sinni valley. It was a Marsican colony, hence the name: the adjective vetere, or old, was added after the foundation, in the 7^th century, of Marsico Nuovo. A necropolis of the 4^th century B.C. has been found not far away in the Agri valley. At the entrance to the village are the remains of the Capuchin convent; in the upper part, known as Civitas, the tower of the castle has been incorporated into a modem con­struction. A 14^th century wooden statue of the Madonna con Bambino has been added to the facade of the 18^th century main church of Santi Pietro e Paolo.

Maschito

After leaving Venosa, along a road that climbs through the hills, you come to Maschito former Roman castrum, repopulated starting from 1467 by Albanian immigration, which determined the cus­toms and local dialect. An example is the Skanderbeg fountain, dedicated to the Albanian hero of the resis­tance against the Turks, also known as Giorgio Castriota (1403-1468). The 17^th century main church, is dedicated to Sant'Elia and conserves paintings of the 16^th century. Near the village is a thermal spring, which forms a small lake.

Melfi

On a hill at the foot of mount Vulture and in the shade of a mighty Norman castle, Melfi is the most important town in the area, both as a tourist resort and economic pole, home of farming and indus­try. Inhabited by the Daunians and Lucanians, and then become Roman, it gained importance in the middle Ages as a strategic point between the areas of Byzantine and Lombard influence and then on the edge of Norman and Swabian rule. In 1059 it became the capital of the Duchy of Puglia. In 1231 Frederick II proclaimed the Constitutions of Melfi (or Constitutiones Augustales) here, reinforcing his State, creating a bureaucracy of paid officials who did not passively succumb to the, requests of the feudatories and organized a tax system. The town then shared the fate of the Kingdom of Naples, took in a settlement of Albanian refugees and later declined, partly for the destruction wrought by a number of earthquakes. The revival commenced in the 19^th century and reached a peak in recent times when FIAT decided to build its factory here.

 

A visit to the town winds along the Norman walls, with the Venosina gate (an ogival arch with two cylindrical towers), Palazzo Vescovado (11^th century, but rebuilt in baroque form in the 18^th century), the duomo, of baroque appearance, with the original Norman bell-tower and inside a 13th century fresco depicting the Ma­donna col Bambino e angeli. Dominating the whole town is the castle, well conserved, with eight towers, moat and masonry bridge. Since 1976 it has housed the Museo Nazionale Archeologico del Melfese (Melfese National Archaeological Museum), with material found in the area, from prehistoric, Daunian, Samnite, Lucanian and Roman settlements. The most famous piece is the sarcophagus of Rapolla, a valuable example of imperial sculpture (2^nd century A.D.), comes to light in 1856. There are collections of the archaic era (I^-G^ century B.C.) with male and female funerary objects, including amber pendants and the so-called Lavello cup). Of the 5^th century B.C. are the Hellenic-style finds (red ceramic figures, fibulae and princely objects); of the 5th - 3rd  century B.C. are the Samnite finds in ivory and bone; also present are examples of Canosino pot­tery with female figures and faces.

 

Around Melfi there are interesting examples of masserie. Climbing up the Melfi state road (SS 303), along the old center of Lavello. The slopes of mount Penone towards the Torre di Cisterna, you encounter the characteristic fortified rural archi­tecture of the masserie regie di Leonessa and Parasacco, the latter opposite the FIAT factory.

Miglionico

Descend now to the south towards Miglionico in a lovely position that provides a sweeping view of Lake San Giuliano. An ancient Hellenised center, it owes its fame to the mighty Malconsiglio castle, so called because in 1485 it was the scene of a conspir­acy of barons against Ferdinand the Catholic, King of Naples, which ended with the murder of all those pre­sent. The massive, recently restored, construction with seven towers is the result of several interventions in var­ious periods, starting from the first nucleus built by the Sanseverinos in the 14th century on an earlier fortress. A visit should also be made to the main church of Santa Maria Maggiore (piazza del Popolo) at the center of the village; dating from the 14th-15lh centuries, it has a richly decorated ogival doorway and a square bell-tower adorned with bas-relief. The repeatedly altered interior contains, on the second altar to the right, a polyptych of 1499 by Cima da Conegliano, formed of 18 panels with, at the center, a wooden sculpture of the Vergine col Bambino e sari Giovanni of the Neapolitan school. By tradition unmarried women in search of a husband come to pray in the small church of the Trinita, with pyramidal spire and an interior containing frescoes dating from the mid 15th century.

Montemilone

Pushing even farther north, with a detour of approxi­mately 13 kilometers through solitary landscape, you come to Montemilone an ancient village situated on a rocky spur at the confluence of two rivers. Episcopal see in the 11^th century, it paid its loy­alty to the Swabians with destruction and was then preyed upon by several feudatories. In the vicinity is the 13th century church of Santa Maria Della Gloriosa, with frescoes of 1563.

Muro Lucano

Also in a spectacular position along the Via Appia is Muro Lucano standing above a ravine. The castle, ruined by the earthquake of 1980, dominated the village, beside which are the remains of a wall, which in ancient times probably gave the name of Murum to the village. The ancient Numistro, scene of the battle between Hannibal's Carthagini­ans and the Roman legions of Marcellus in 210 B.C., is thought to have been in what is now the Raia San Basile district. Megalithic walls and remains of the Roman Period and of a Basilian monastery (Greek Rite) have been found in the area.

 

The village became a Lombard fortress and later main­tained a prominent defensive role. According to a tradi­tion, queen Giovanna I was killed in its castle in 1382. Muro has repeatedly suffered earthquakes: the last inflicted serious damage both on the castle and the cathedral, the church of the Carmine and the Capuchin convent. Visits can be made to the church of San Marco and that of Sant'Andrea, of the 15^th century, to which have been moved from the Cathedral a 16^th century cru­cifix, the 17^th century bishop's chair and a Neapolitan nativity of the 18^th century.

 

Recommended visits in the vicinity include the so-called I Vucculi caves 18 km away, or the lovely lake Muro Lucano, the first hydroelectric basin in southern Italy, on the San Pietro River. Cross the Pianello bridge over the Rescio river, to the east of the town, and you will come, in the hamlet of the same name, to the church of Santa Maria in Capo di Giano, by Maestro Sarolo (late 12^th or early 13^th C), partially intact, with stone lions and a circular Roman altar.

Oppido Lucano

Departing Genzano, on a winding, scenic road, you come to Oppido Lucano, of mediaeval origin and standing above olive groves and tilled fields. For a brief period, between 1863 and 1933, it was called Palmira. The old center maintains its mediaeval appearance, marked in the upper part by the ruins of the castle. The parish church of Santi Pietro e Paolo is baroque (17^th century), with an Ultima Cena of the same period; the church of the Annunziata conserves a picture of the Nativita painted by Antonio Stabile in 1580. Of interest are the IS^-century doorways of some mansions. Nearby is the convent of Sant'Antonio, with lunettes frescoed by Giovanni Todisco in 1558: in the refectory is an Ultima Cena of the early 17^th century and the church conserves a polyptych and triptych by Antonio Stabile and a wooden choir of the mid 16^th century. In Contrada Pozzella the 13th century rock church of Sant'Antuono has a crypt with three aisles, frescoed with Episodes from the Life of Jesus.

 

Towards Tolve a minor road leads to Castiglione and the sanctuary of Santa Maria in Belvedere, recon­structed in the mid 19^th century with a wooden statue of Madonna con Bambino of the 14^th century. A 6^th-4^th century B.C. necropolis has been uncovered on mount Mocrone, not far from the village and the finds are now conserved in the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Potenza.

Palazzo San Gervasio

To the north Palazzo San Gervasio is dominated by the castle built for Frederick II for his hunting expeditions, on the lands guarded by the regie masserie. First a casale of the abbey of the Trinita of Venosa, later Norman and Swabian fortification, it declined with the shifting of Angevin political interest towards Naples. The castle was extensively altered: it is on three floors, arranged around a central courtyard, with two square towers on the facade and a loggia of two and three light windows. Also of interest is the parish church of San Nicola, in Pugliese Romanesque style, the church of the Santissimo Crocifisso and Palaz­zo d'Errico.

Pescopagano

Skirting the slopes of the Toppo del Castelgrande you return to the SS 7 (Via Appia) at Pescopagano, in the upper Ofanto valley. Constructed at the top of a cliff, perhaps by the Goths, it was called Pietra Pagana, probably for the long continuation of pagan rites, as revealed by the discovery of idols and inscriptions referring to the god Silvanus at Idolari, near the Guana river, which forms a scenographic ravine. The 1980 earthquake struck the church of Santa Maria Assunta and that of the Annunziata, whereas the ancient clock tower, at the entrance to the village remains.

Picerno

To the north, near the SS 94, Picerno is a very characteristic village, dominated by a cylindrical tower and the main church of San Nicola, erected in the 18^th century on the bastions of the castle.

 

It has a network of streets, winding between old houses with lovely 18^th century doorways. In Piazza del Plebiscite is the 14th century chapel of the Annunziata, with a lovely portal of the same period and 16th century wooden doors; its facade comprises salvaged Roman materials. On the right bank of the fiumara, to the northwest, on a mound is the church of the Assunta, 15th century, restored in the 19^th century and housing a Madonna con Bambino e santi painted by Antonio Sta­bile in 1577. Lovers of nature can enjoy the beauty of the Bosco Grande, the forest that covers the Li Foi Mountains.

Pietragalla

Only twenty kilometers from Potenza, Pietragalla has been known since the 12^th cen­tury. In 1456 it took in the inhabitants of Casalaspro, destroyed by an earthquake, of which only the ruins of the castle remain. The Melazzi family, feudatories in the 15¹¹' century, constructed the impressive Palazzo Ducale. The town conserves a district of ancient sunken dwellings and a number of cave-cellars, examples of characteristic rural architecture.

 

Approximately 7 kilometers away on mount Torretta, a mule path leads to the remains of a town that was inhabited between the 9^th and 3^rd centuries B.C.: there are walls, approximately four kilometers long, a 5^th – 4^th century B.C. acropolis and an Italic temple perhaps dedicated to Hercules. The excavation material has been transferred to the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Potenza.

Pietrapertosa

Going back, take the road that climbs up the opposite side of the gorge, with remarkable views, to Pietraper­tosa, which boasts the record of being the highest commune in Basilicata. Its name means perforated stone and stems from the unusual shape of a rock: strangely shaped rocky towers with imaginative names surround the village. Like Castelmezzano, the Saracens, who in the 10th century constructed a fort to guard the gorge perfectly camouflaged with the rocks and vegetation and now reached along a path, occupied Pietrapertosa.

 

In the old center there are some mansions and the main church of San Giacomo, formerly of the Observant Minorities, which dates from the 15th century and houses various examples of Lucanian art: a gothic ivory pastoral staff, a carved wooden choir of the 16^th century, works by Pietro Antonio Ferro, painted between 1606 and 1626, and by Lorenzo de Caro.

 

The former convent of San Francesco, now used by cul­tural associations, was built in 1470 on the structure of the castle. Annexed to it is a church, reached by passing through a portico frescoed in the 16^th century: inside it conserves P^-century frescoes and paintings by Pietrafesa, Francesco Romano and Francesco Gumo; the apse is adorned with frescoes by Giovanni Luce da Eboli, also responsible for a polyptych; the carved choir and pulpit are of the 16^th century. Slightly north of the village, in the church of San Cataldo are two lovely wooden statues of San Cataldo and San Giacomo, and a painting representing the Madonna Della vita.

 

In Contrada Badia, the chapel of the Assunta, with an interesting wooden statue, is situated near the remains of an ancient Benedictine abbey. Also in the vicinity, to the southwest, Rossa e Baratta have springs of sul­phurous and ferruginous water, while at the Tempa di Turi are the ruins of the village of Trifoggio, destroyed in the 16^th century.

Pignola

The village of Pignola on the road that goes south was in ancient times called Vineola, or small vine. The church of Santa Maria Maggiore, reconstructed in the 18^th century, but with a 15th century bell-tower, conserves some paintings by Pietrafesa. Pro­ceeding through the woods you come to the Sellata pass (1255 m) at La Sellata-Pierfaone, equipped for the practice of winter sports. At Piana del Lago are the lifts up to mount Pierfaone (1744 m); at Pietra del Tasso there is a cross-country ski circuit. Another one is to be found at Rifreddo (1090 m) linked by a scenic road to Pignola but also reached directly from Potenza. Continuing towards Abriola you pass near the Madonna di Monteforte (1316 m), a church of Romanesque ori­gin which in the bowl-shaped vault of the apse con­serves a 13th century fresco (Cristo Pantocratore con Maria e Giovanni), painted by the school of Giovanni Todisco, and the venerated 15th century statue of the Vergine col Bambino.

Rapolla

Compared with Ginestra and Barile, Rapolla is the site of older settlements, as demon­strated by the discovery of the famous sarcophagus of Rapolla, of the 2^nd century A.D. from Asia Minor and now kept in the castle of Melfi. The village apparently takes its name from Rapum, or thorny place. Annexed to the Lombard Duchy of Benevento, in the 10th century it took in a Basilian community and then became an episcopal see.

 

The cathe­dral, built between 1209 and 1253 by Maestro Sarolo and Melchiorre di Montalbano, dominates the center. The oldest church, however, is that of Santa Lucia, of the 10th - 11th * cen­turies and of Norman origin, with a lovely doorway. Outside municipal territory is the church of the Crocifisfio, built on a Basilian Laura, i.e. the church of a com­munity of hermits who lived in the surrounding caves. Rapolla is also known for the Ala thermal spa, which uses the mineral water for curative purposes.

 

Two archaeological areas have been identified in the vicinity: that of Albero in Piano, where the famous sar­cophagus was found, and that of Toppo d'Aguzzo, a Bronze or Iron Age settlement. There are also the remains of an aqueduct that connected Ripacandida with Venosa. Climbing towards Melfi you then come to the rock churches of Santa. Lucia (or dei Giaconelli) frescoed in 1292, and Santa Margherita, with a cycle of 13th century frescoes on the vaults and walls, both of Basilian origin.

Rapone

Crossing the Liento valley you come to Rapone, also on the top of a rise and refounded in the Middle Ages after being inhabited as early as the 6^th century B.C., as demonstrated by the archaeological excavations. Of note is the ancient church of San Michele and the lovely doorways of the mansions, a char­acteristic common to many Lucanian villages.

Rionero in Vulture

Just over 6 km from the lakes, Rionero in Vulture appeared in the early Middle Ages on two small hills in a scenic position. A farming and industrial town, but also a resort, it has been the scene of interesting archaeological finds and conserves the remains of a Roman aqueduct. Emptied in 1316 for the construction of Atella, it was repopulated and inhabited in 1464 by people of Albanian origin before being destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt. On 1^st April 1502 the Duke of Nemours and Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba met here and reached an agreement on the division of the Kingdom of Naples between France and Spain. Among its fine noble mansions, Palazzo dei Fortunato houses the Giustino Fortunate library, near the main church, repeatedly restored. Lovers of nature should make an excursion to the Pizzuto San Michele (1245 m) for the splendid views.

Ripacandida

Moving east you come to Ripacandida, which takes its name from the whitish hill it stands on. Inhabited from the 7^th to 4^th centuries B.C., it was fortified by the Lombards and during the middle Ages came under the rule of various feudatories. In 1861 the legitimist movement was born here. Its cathe­dral is H^-century; the church of San Donate con­serves a painted cycle of the 15^th century. The Bosco dei Piscioni, 212 hectares of State reserve, lies on its terri­tory, famous for the production of oil and wine, and that of Castel Lagopesole.

Ruoti

Returning towards Potenza along the Via Appia you come to Ruoti a village that pros­pered in ancient times for its position on the road that linked Metapontum and the Ionian coast with the Sele valley. Remains of an imperial Roman villa have been found in Contrada San Giovanni; at Fontana Bona, near a spring, finds of the 3^rd – 4^th century B.C. attributable to a sanctuary dedicated to a rural god have come to light. The parish church of San Nicola, remade in the early 19^th century, conserves a 16^th century Madonna del Rosario and a Madonna delle Grazie by Pietrafesa. How­ever, the main attraction here is the immense fir wood, which contains silver fir and Adriatic oak and comprises at least forty natural springs. Skirting the Bosco Grande, already mentioned in relation to Picerno, return towards Potenza, making a last stop at the Montocchio masseria, where there is a small Folk Museum with an exhibi­tion of everyday and traditional rural objects.

Ruvo del Monte

An ancient Samnite settlement, formerly called Rufrae, Ruvo del Monte built on a scenic spur: it was a Lombard stronghold and the feud of many lords, including the Gesualdo family, who reconstructed the castle in the 15^th century. The tower and remains of this fortress have been incorporated in the urban fabric. In the area are the remains of the Benedictine Badia (Abbey) di San Tommaso del Cerrutolo, active from the 12^th to the 14^th centuries.

San Chirico Nuovo

Take a road climbing through the lovely Bosco di Ponti and after passing the sanctuary of the Madonna di Fonti, baroque but already recorded in the 14^th century, you will come to San Chirico Nuovo. This is an ancient Hellenic settlement, abandoned in the middle Ages and repopulated by Albanians in 1561. Visit the masseria Santoro, the remains of the castle and the main church, of Romanesque origin but with some baroque style added. To return to Potenza descend again onto the Via Appia and pass through the magnifi­cent woods of mount Cupolicchio, a 300 hectare expanse mainly of oaks, and then head along the SS 96 towards Vaglio Basilicata.

San Fele

After the Crocelle pass you come to San Fele which grew around the castle known as San Felice built on the rock by Otto I in the 10^th century and become a famous prison of illustrious people: for instance Freder­ick II's son, Henry of Swabia, died here in 1253. The castle is now in ruin but in the village is the interesting baroque church of Santa Maria delta Quercia.

San Mauro Forte

Approximately 14 km through the woods of Fazzano and Montepiano brings you to San Mauro Forte on a hill amidst olive groves, in the valley of a tributary of the Salandrella River. The first part of its name, San Mauro, stems from the presence, in the past, of a Benedictine monastery (San Mauro was a disciple of San Benedetto); the adjective Forte was added in recognition of the resistance shown to brigands. A tower demonstrates the existence, in the Middle Ages, of a castle.

 

The main church of the Assunta is a baroque remake of an older building; the church of the Annunziata with a 16th century doorway, conserves two paintings by Anto­nio Stabile; the adjacent Franciscan convent is 15th cen­tury. Prehistoric finds dating from the Aenolithic period have been made near the village; Piano del Campo reveals traces of the Lucanians, Greeks and Romans; in Contrada. Salice are Roman tombs and traces of a landslide. The ruins of Campomaggiore Vecchio are to the northeast: still visible are the main church and a noble mansion.

Sanctuary of Santa Marie di Pierno

Climbing the road to the Crocelle pass you can turn off to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Pierno, founded by San Guglieimo da Vercelli in 1122 and completed in 1197, the work of Maestro Sarolo and his brother Ruggero; this is one of the most interesting monuments in the region, and on the outside conserves its original Romanesque appearance; the interior, a nave and two aisles, was remade in the 16^th century. Pilgrimages are made here, especially during the characteristic mid August celebrations. All around is the Pierno State for­est, lying between Filiano, Bella and San Pele.

Sant' Angelo le Fratte

A few kilometers away, also near the Melandro River, Sant'Angelo Le Fratte is situated on the slopes of mount Faito. In the early Middle Ages the village grew around a Basilian convent as a castrum or castle, although the site had already been inhabited in prehistoric times, as is demonstrated by the finds made at Vetranaursa. Of interest are the parish church of Santa Maria in Nives and the rococo villa Giacchetti.

Sasso di Castalda

From Brienza an excursion can be made along a road running approximately 6 km to the northeast, to Sasso di Castalda, a picturesque center on a cliff dominated by mount San Cosmo. In ancient times it was Petra Castalda or Saxo Forte, i.e. fortified Norman stronghold. Now the Caetani castle is reduced to ruin, but the church of the Immacolata and that of Sant'Antonio are interesting. On its territory lies the Fossa Cupa, a State forest at the source of the Basento.

Satriano di Lucania

North of Brienza, along SS 95, is Satriano di Lucania the mediaeval name of which was Petrafixa, then Pietrafesa or Pietrafessa, namely split stone, for the nature of the place it stood at, later aban­doned because of landslides. At the end of the 19th cen­tury the inhabitants decided to give it the name of the nearby center of Satrianum, destroyed in 1420 after a rebellion, to convey its desire to carry forward the moral legacy of the proud spirit of independence that inspired their unfortunate neighbors. Satriano is the birthplace of the painter Giovanni de Gregorio, called il Pietrafesa, who in the first half of the 17th century worked a great deal in the area and left frescoes in the local chapel of San Giovanni. Following the SS 95 towards Tito you come to the tower of Satriano, on a mound, the sole survivor of the village destroyed, which was a Lombard stronghold and Episcopal see, on the site of an Iron Age settlement.

Savoia di Lucania

Continue along the bottom of the Melandro valley to take a winding route up through splendid scenery to Savoia di Lucania, standing on the top of a peak dominated by the castle. A very old farm­ing center, it was known as Salvia until 1878, when the inhabitants decided to pay tribute to the ruling family to distance themselves from the attack made by their fellow-villager Giovanni Passanante on King Umberto I of Italy. The parish church of San Rocco, of the 16^th cen­tury, conserves a fine baroque altar and the castle (altered) includes the 18^th century church of San Nicola, adorned with six large canvases of the same period with subjects based on the New and Old Testaments.

Tito

Surrounded by woods, olive groves and vineyards, beyond a fiumara, stand Tito with an old center perched on a spur: for its position and its sulphurous thermal waters it has now become a resort. Like the nearby Pietrafesa, in the 15^th century it took in the refugees of Satrianum and in the 19^th century en­couraged the liberal revolts.

 

In the old center, in Piazza del Seggio, stands the lovely Palazzo del Sedile; this is where the heroine of the republican revolution, France-sea Cafarelli De Carolis, was shot in 1799 by brigands at the service of the Bourbons and died extolling free­dom for the last time. In the upper part of the village the church of Sant'Antonio, of the former Franciscan con­vent, was restored after the 1980 earthquake. Here you can admire cycles of paintings by Gerolamo Stabile, of the 16^th century, and by Pietrafesa, who also frescoed the cloister with the Storie di Sant'Antonio. Archaeo­logical excavations have uncovered finds from the Iron Age and Roman republican period.

Tolve

From Vaglio, the SS 96 winds to Tolve in a scenic position on a crag, dominated by the ruins of the castle. Another mediaeval memory here is the Arco delle Torri, which was part of the walls. There is a convent of San Francesco, restructured in the 18^th century, and the church of San Pietro, of the 15^th century, with a fine doorway. The parish church of San Nicola, at the top of a flight of steps, is of Byzantine foundation, but is seen greatly altered; it houses a highly venerated picture of. San Rocco, in whose honors the walls and the sacristy overflow with ex votos.

 

Archaeological excavations have also been conducted around Tolve with the finding of major evidence of Hel­lenic penetration from the Ionian coast towards the heart of Basilicata. On mount Moltone a Hellenistic country villa of the late 5^th century B.C. has reappeared with a central courtyard plan, thermal baths and rooms typical of a farm.

Tricarico

Tricarico is a small town today known as a resort, both for its lovely position and the historical and artistic memories it conserves. Trigarium was the scene of clashes between various civilizations: probably of Lucanian origin, for a long time it was under Byzantine influence; in the 9^th century it was for a certain period occupied by the Saracens who, before being driven away, founded two districts here, still in existence today, with the unmistakable names of Rabatana and Saracena; the Normans left a memory of their passage in the cylindrical tower that dominates the town. It has distinguished itself in various eras for its cultural resources, stimulated by the presence of men of genius such as the painter Pietro Antonio Ferro, who worked a great deal in the area in the early 17th century and the writer Rocco Scotellaro (1923-1953); an expert on Southern Italy and a mayor sensitive to the problems of his people, he was immortalized by Carlo Levi in a famous painting on display in Matera.

 

The old center conserves a mediaeval appearance, with houses crowded together, amongst which stand out ele­gant baronial mansions. The rooms of the castle have since the 14th century housed the convent of Santa Chiara, of the Poor Clares. Only the church is open to the public and dates from the 12^th century, but was restored in the mid 19th century: access is through the chapel of the Crucifix, entirely frescoed by Pietro Antonio Perro in 1611. Other monuments of interest are the church of San Francesco, of the 12th century, but altered, with a Romanesque doorway and a bell gable; the Palazzo Ducale, of renaissance foundation; Palazzo Griptoleo and Palazzo Vescovile. The cathedral, erected by Robert Guiscard but repeatedly altered, conserves paintings by Ferro and a triptych with Madonna, Bambino e santi dating from the first half of the 16th century.

 

Sections of the circle of walls remain, with some gates and the renaissance arch of Re Ladislao, in a niche of which is conserved a 14^th century statue of the Madon­na con Bambino. The arch marks the entry to the Sara­cen district, which like that called Rabatana has main­tained its original Arab appearance. Outside the old center stand the convents of Santa Maria del Carmine (with baroque church frescoed by Ferro) and Sant'Antonio da Padova.

 

In the vicinity, the archaeological sites of Tempa dell' Altare, Piano della Civita, Cancello and San Felpo have revealed remains of dwellings and tombs with their accompanying objects. At Calle di Tricarico, near the old church of Santa Maria di Calle, traces of Lucanian Hellenic and Roman times have emerged. At Cugno dei Pozzi what are probably Byzantine tombs have been found. On the Via Appia you encounter the church of Sant'Antonio Abate or of the Madonna delI' Olivo, thus called after the polychrome sculpture on the doorway: the Romanesque building is perhaps what remains of an ancient hospice used by pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. You now proceed to the Tre Cancelli pass (900 m) where you can see the remains of the circle of walls of a Lucanian town of the 6^th – 5^th century B.C.

Trivigno

On the opposite side of the Basento valley, Trivigno is dominated by the bell-tower of the 17th century parish church of Santi Paolo e Pietro; inside it has two aisles and conserves a precious Baroque altar with the 19^th century decoration in wrought iron; the organ and choir in carved wood on the counter-facade date from the 18^th century.

Vaglio Basilicata

Leaving Potenza to the east, along the Via Appia, you come to Vaglio Basilicata on the slopes of the Serra San Bernardo, a village mentioned as early as the 13^th century and often in history central to liberal protests, perhaps because the direct heir to the warrior spirit of the Liky, an Iron Age people come from Anatolia between 1300 and 1200 B.C. and who had major settlements in this area. Visits should be made to the former convent of Sant'Antonio, with a rich baroque church, the main church of San Pietro, of the 16^th century, with two paintings of the same period by Antonio Stabile and a fine sculpted choir and the stone church of San Donato, of 1553.

 

Vaglio's fame, however, is linked to the archaeological finds made in the area. On mount Macchia di Rossano, at Bosco di Rossano, north of the village, an ancient sanctuary of the goddess Mephitis (perhaps 4^th century B.C.) has been found, surrounded by rooms for pil­grims. Apparently it was also where the representatives of the various villages - autonomous but joined in fed­eration - met to name the basileus, responsible for mil­itary co-ordination. In Christian times the woods on the same mount were the home of the church of Rossano, rebuilt in the 19^th century. On mount Serra San Bernar­do, at Serra di Vaglio, at the point where the Tiera meets the Basento, are numerous remains of a settlement, with acropolis and relics dating from between the 10^th - 3rd centuries B.C. Male and female burials have been found at Braida, dating from the late 6^th and early 5^th centuries B.C. and with rich contents.

Venosa

Situated on the bottom of a prehistoric lake, Venosa has a long history: the Samnites organized it as a city-state; the Romans occupied it in 291 and, to bend local resistance, turned it into a colony, moving 20.000 people there. In that period its importance grew considerably, as it lay on the route of the Via Appia, which linked Campania with Puglia. This is where the poet Horace was born in 65 B.C. In the first centuries of the Christian era a strong Jewish community settled here, concentrated in its own district. When the emperor Trajan moved the Via Appia farther up, Venosa suffered severe repercussions and this marked the beginning of a slow decline, gradually worsened by the Barbarian invasions.

 

With the Normans, in 1024, it found a new role as part of the defensive curve of their domains, especially under Frederick II, who made it a crown property. Passed to the Orsini family, it was in 1443 the dowry of Donata Orsini given to Pirro del Baizo, who had a castle and cathedral built there. In the 16th century, the Gesualdos, princes of Venosa, and their court turned the town into a brilliant center of intellectual and artistic activity. The prince of Venosa was Carlo Gesualdo (1560-1613), a controversial figure, who was, nonethe­less, an exceptional musician, one of the best of his times. His town then shared the vicissitudes of the King­dom of Naples and was involved in the Carbonari upris­ings and the peasant revolts of the 19^th century.

 

The castle (piazza Umberto I) was built on the site of an early cathedral in 1470. It has a square plan with cylin­drical corner towers and is surrounded by a large moat. Inside it houses the Civic Library and the National Archaeological Museum, with a collection of material dating from prehistoric times to the Norman period: collections of pottery and coins, funerary objects, mosaics, wall paintings; the section devoted to the early Christian period conserves a cross-relic of the 8th - 9th century and two pluteus by Maestro Palmerio.

 

The new cathedral of Sant'Anna was also erected for Pirro del Baizo, with the reuse of old materials. Made between 1470 and 1502 it has a facade with a marble doorway, by Cola di Conza in 1512, and a sturdy bell-tower. Of note inside, a nave and two aisles with ogival arches, is the marble renaissance arch leading to the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento.

 

Among the other monuments of interest the so-called tomb of Marcellus (Via Melfi), now derelict was thought to be that of the Consul Claudius Marcellus who died fighting Hannibal in this area in 208 B.C. Another debatable attribution is that of the house of Orazio (Horace), a Roman building with a semi-circu­lar plan that seems more probably baths. In 1898.a bronze statue was dedicated to the great Latin poet and placed in the square of the same name.

 

The major memories of the prosperity enjoyed in the Roman period can be seen in the Archaeological park (Ofantina provincial road), which lies outside the town, around the abbey of the Trinita, and comprises an amphitheatre, spa, a house of the 2^nd century B. C., a res­idential complex and the remains of the early Christian religious center, with the first cathedral. Nearby are also the Jewish and Christian catacombs. The most striking monument is the abbey of the Trinita, which stood in early Christian times on the site of a pagan temple and was later extended by the Benedictines. The old church has a basilica plan with crypt. Access is via a porticoed entrance, flanked by lions, to the left of the main body of the monastery. The doorway of 1287 is by Maestro Palmerio; on the right is the so-called column of friend­ship, the object of a curious folk tradition: to confirm a pact of friendship here makes it eternal. The restoration of 1987 upgraded the structure, internally enriched with 15^th century frescoes. In the left aisle is the tomb of Alberada, the repudiated wife of the Norman Robert Guiscard. Visible from the windows of the apse is the new or unfinished church started between the 11^th and 12^th centuries to extend the old one, in Romanesque style, using salvaged materials (from the Roman amphitheatre) but it was never completed. Lovely ruins remain, of spectacular effect.

Vietri di Potenza

Retrace your steps, go over the Pietrastretta pass and descend to the bottom of the Melandro valley before climbing again to Vietri di Potenza surrounded by woods, at the point where the fiumara of the same name and the Melandro river meet. Once a Gothic and Lombard stronghold, it is now a popular holiday resort thanks to beautiful scenery, but also for its saline - sulphurous waters and the excellent salumi made here. It has a picturesque old center; the parish church of Sant'Anselrno conserves a Roman funerary stele walled into the Romanesque bell-tower. North of the town the Capuchin or Trinita convent has an intact 18^lh century library and annexed church with an unusual polyptych made in the 18^th century by com­bining three paintings mounted on a track to cover a reliquary cupboard.

Viggiano

On the slopes of mount Enoc (1476 m) Viggiano housed a community of Basilian monks in the 10^th century. The special interest of its inhabitants in music is well known and in the past they emigrated all over the world taking with them their skill as violin and harp players. This greatly boosted the craft of musi­cal instruments, especially zampognas and harps.

 

Viggiano's fame is, however, particularly bound to its devotion to the Madonna Nera, a wooden statue of the Virgin seated with the Baby in her arms, of the 13^th cen­tury, gilded in the late 17^th century; Byzantine accord­ing to local tradition it follows the shepherds during the transhumance. In winter it stands on the main altar of the church of Santa Maria del Deposito, in the village, but for the period of May to September it is transferred in a procession to the sanctuary of the Sacro Monte, 12 km away (the last 2 km must be covered on foot) and at 1725 mt (the church was rebuilt in the 19^th century after an earthquake). In 1991 John Paul II crowned the Madonna di Viggiano the pro­tector of Basilicata.

 

The village's most important buildings include parts of the castle and the church of San Sebastiano, which houses a polyptych of the 16^th century attributed to Carlo Sellito and a statue of the saint of the same period. At Santa Barbara the ruins of the church of Santa Maria della Pietra, of Basilian origin, rise sheer above the Casale River. The remains of a Roman villa have been uncovered at Le Vigne and at Valloni parts of a settlement inhabited in Roman times. From the turn­ing at Acqua dei Pastori, on the road to the sanctuary of the Sacro Monte, you can reach equipped ski runs, at 1400 m, with ski lifts.