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PEOPLE & CULTURE
Basilicata is a magical place where you can travel back in time via ancient traditions – an authentic Italian sanctuary. The area is soaked in history and tradition, ridged by mountains and valleys and marked by ancient trails and trackways. Basilicata’s population has suffered over the centuries due to extremely high levels of emigration to northern Italy and the United States. As a result, this small region is sparsely populated with a very low population density compared to other Italian regions – and with a great sense of space. Today it is a land virtually untouched by mass tourism with many of its locations still to be discovered by holidaymakers. Agriculture is the main industry here – bread made from Basilicata wheat is famous throughout Italy – but local workers and artisans are now involved in restoration projects in the towns and bringing some of their skills in ceramics, textiles and furniture making to the attention of the rest of the world.
FESTIVALS
An integral part of southern Italy is the tradition of local festivals, many dating to pre-Christian times and often celebrating the seasons and the agricultural year, and Basilicata is no exception. Festivals here are vibrant, colourful and exciting. One particular celebration is ‘Il Maggio’, the marriage of the trees, an agricultural-based festival which is particularly celebrated in the village of Accettura. Find out What's On
FOOD
Visiting Basilicata also provides a good excuse to delve into the region’s “slow food” style, where dishes made with local ingredients which have evolved throughout the centuries are an important and respected part of the cultural landscape. Discover more in Food and Drink
ART
Known in Italy as a land of myth and fable, this beautiful, isolated region is host to hundreds of rock churches, some with ancient frescoes, many regional art festivals and exhibitions, and echoes of classical times – this area was once part of Magna Graecia. Highlights include:
- The Doric Palatine Tables at Metaponto
- The stunning city of Matera with its Biblical landscape has been used as a movie location – most recently by Mel Gibson in The Passion of The Christ
- The Natural history park of the Matera cave churches
FILM
The dramatic scenery around Matera has inspired Biblical references and the city and surrounding area have been used as the setting for ancient Jerusalam by many directors, including Pier Paulo Pasolino’s The Gospel According to St Matthew (1964) and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (2004). A chapter on Matera describing the life of people in the south of Italy at the beginning of the twentieth century is in the famous Italian novel Cristo si e fermato a Eboli ("Christ stopped at Eboli") by Carlo Levi. This was also turned into a film.
There is also a film festival which takes place each year in August in the beautiful resort of Maratea.
HIGHLIGHTS
'Il Maggio' The marriage of the trees festival in Accetura
Bread making in Matera
An example of an fresco at Moliterno
Modonna De Iris at Matera
