| If you are looking for a European tourist destination, | | | | the Eleventh Century Church of San Francesco which |
| consider the Basilicata region of southern Italy. | | | | includes a Renaissance painting entitled Madonna del |
| Basilicata forms the instep of the Italian boot with | | | | Terremoto (Our Lady of the Earthquake). The |
| two small seacoasts, one on the Ionian Sea in the | | | | Romanesque Church St. Michael the Archangel was |
| east and one on the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west. | | | | also built in the Twelfth Century as was the Church |
| Depending on your interests, Basilicata may be an | | | | of St. Mary of the Sepulcher. You should also see the |
| ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, | | | | Castle's Tower built prior to the year 1000 and the |
| and wash it down with fine local wine. Basilicata is | | | | ruins of a Norman fort, probably built on Roman and |
| among the few regions of Italy as yet undiscovered | | | | Byzantine foundations. All in all there's a lot of old |
| by tourists. There's a tradeoff; you won't have to | | | | stuff to see for a small provincial capital that was |
| fight the crowds to see what you want to see. On | | | | almost destroyed by earthquakes. But if you don't |
| the other hand, you'll have a hard time finding fancy | | | | have time to see both Potenza and Matera I think |
| hotels. And its roads are not always the best, hardly | | | | you know which one to choose. |
| surprising when you consider the region's | | | | With less than twelve hundred inhabitants you might |
| mountainous terrain. | | | | be tempted to skip the village of Aliano. Don't, it's |
| Basilicata's population is only slightly above six hundred | | | | living proof of the phrase - good things come in small |
| thousand. While quite mountainous this is the only | | | | packages. The scenery is spectacular, cliffs and |
| region of Italy in which farm workers outnumber | | | | rivers, and gullies, and local growing things include |
| industrial workers. Up until the 1970s it steadily lost | | | | olive, peach, and citrus trees. This lovely scenery |
| population to other Italian regions and to emigration | | | | may be typical of the region. However, unlike any |
| abroad. But all is not lost. Its east coast has become | | | | neighboring village Aliano is famous thanks to an |
| an important agricultural area. And the mountainous | | | | involuntary visitor who stopped by more than |
| interior with poor soil and lots of sun; what could be | | | | seventy years ago. Between May,1935 and |
| better for producing fine wine? Let's not forget that | | | | October,1936 Aliano was the home in exile of the |
| many consider Basilicata's native Aglianico (also found | | | | well-known author Carlo Levi quoted above. Levi, a |
| in Campania) to be Italy's third best red grape, after | | | | painter educated as a doctor, was a founder of an |
| Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. It sounds like there could | | | | Italian anti-Mussolini movement. This explains his |
| be a major breakthrough in Basilicata's wine industry. | | | | unintentional extended Aliano visit. Once released |
| We'll start our tour of this region in the northeast at | | | | from exile Levi spent two years in France but |
| Matera. Then we head south and east to Potenza. | | | | returned to Italy and was imprisoned once again. |
| From there we go southeast to Aliano and then | | | | After the war he wrote a book, Christ Stopped at |
| south and east to Terranova di Pollino and the Parco | | | | Eboli, about his Aliano experiences. This book |
| Nazionale. If you want a bit of seaside you could | | | | exposed the problem of poverty in Southern Italy to |
| continue to the little town of Maratea on the coast | | | | the relatively prosperous North. Levi served nine |
| of the Tyrrhenian Sea. When driving in this part of | | | | years in the Italian Senate where he continued his |
| the world, you'll need a good map and good reflexes; | | | | fight against poverty. He is buried in the village,. The |
| the roads here don't always go directly from Point A | | | | house where he lived is still standing; it is now the |
| to Point B and rarely go in a straight line. | | | | Museo Storico Carlo Levi (Carlo Levi Historical |
| Matera, population sixty thousand, lies just south of | | | | Museum). |
| the Apulia border. This area has been settled since | | | | Terranova di Pollino is a mountain village in southern |
| Palaeolithic times, in other words for at least twelve | | | | Basilicata very close to Calabria. It lies at the entrance |
| thousand years. The Romans claimed to have | | | | to the Parco Nazionale del Pollino (Pollino National |
| founded the city in the Third Century B. C. Like so | | | | Park) the largest in Italy at just under 750 square |
| many other parts of Italy it was occupied by an | | | | miles (more than 1900 square kilometers.) Let's quote |
| almost never-ending stream of invaders. One of the | | | | their website "With its 192,565 hectares, Pollino |
| proudest moments in Matera's history was in | | | | National Park, the largest protected area in Italy |
| September 1943 when it rose against the German | | | | between Calabria and Basilicata, has a wealth of |
| invaders, the first Italian city to do so. We'll start with | | | | landscapes to offer: great areas of wilderness where |
| the usual sights and finish with something truly unique. | | | | the cuirassed pine -the true emblem of the park- |
| Matera's Duomo (Cathedral) dates from the | | | | clings to the rocky slopes as the wind shapes its |
| Thirteenth Century and was built in the | | | | twisted trunk; not far away, rolling hills and valleys, |
| Apulian-Romanesque style (Apulia is the region north | | | | lush slopes with flowering plants in springtime, and |
| of Basilicata, its architecture reflects Greek, Arab, and | | | | then endless upland plains where the sheep still graze |
| Norman influences.) There are frescoes and | | | | like in ancient times." |
| sculptures to admire. Check to see if the Thirteenth | | | | But that's not all. The park is home to a wide variety |
| Century Romanesque Church of San Giovanni Battista | | | | of endangered species. Many fossils have been found |
| has been reopened for tourists. If so, stop by. But | | | | including a very well preserved skeleton of a giant |
| these sights pale in comparison to Matera's unique old | | | | elephant that lived between 400,000 and 700,000 |
| town in which the streets are often rooftops and | | | | years ago. Other fossils date from the time when |
| the houses, churches, and chic restaurants are caves, | | | | dinosaurs ruled the earth. Historic churches abound in |
| hewn out of solid rock. | | | | the neighboring villages. Many of these villages are |
| The Sassi di Matera (Stones of Matera) are caves | | | | home to ethnic Albanians who have kept their |
| that have been occupied continuously by human | | | | language and culture for over five hundred years. |
| beings for an estimated nine thousand years. At | | | | Look for their festivals during the spring and summer |
| twenty years per generation, (remember they didn't | | | | months. |
| wait to finish law school before starting a family in | | | | What about food? Basilicata is very traditional when it |
| those days) this works out to an incredible 450 | | | | comes to cooking. As expected in an economically |
| generations possibly living in the same neighborhood. | | | | deprived area meat consumption is limited. The major |
| The area has been named a World Heritage Site and | | | | meat is pork and the locals know how to extract the |
| numerous bars and restaurants now take advantage | | | | maximum from their porkers. Hot peppers are |
| of this unique location. What a turnaround from the | | | | popular and can be quite hot. Basilicata bread is |
| days when Matera because of the Sassi was called | | | | consumed in many parts of Italy. Locals make a |
| ''la vergogna nazionale,'' Italy's shame. | | | | special pasta from wheat and lard. The Pollino |
| The area is thought to resemble ancient Jerusalem, | | | | mountains are known for wild mushrooms and for |
| and so has become a great place to shoot historical | | | | game. |
| movies such as Pier Paolo Pasolini's The Gospel | | | | Let's suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start |
| According to St. Matthew, Bruce Beresford's King | | | | with Zuppa di Pesce alla Santavenere (Ionian Fish and |
| David, and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. To | | | | Seafood Soup). Then try Spezzatino di Agnello (Lamb |
| quote Mel "In fact the first time I saw it I just went | | | | stewed in an earthenware pot). For dessert indulge |
| crazy because it was so perfect". | | | | yourself with Frittelle alla Lucana (Doughnuts). Be sure |
| To quote the famous Italian author Carlo Levi | | | | to increase your dining pleasure by including local |
| (Matera, 1952) "In the Sassi caves is concealed the | | | | wines with your meal. |
| capital of the peasants, its heart hidden in their | | | | We'll conclude with a quick look at Basilicata wine. |
| ancient civilization. Anyone who sees Matera cannot | | | | Basilicata ranks 17th among the 20 Italian regions for |
| help but be awe-struck, so expressive and touching is | | | | the acreage devoted to wine grapes and for total |
| its sorrowful beauty." On the other hand he also | | | | annual wine production. About 73% of the wine |
| wrote (Christ Stopped at Eboli, 1946): "They are | | | | produced is red or rosé, leaving 27% white. |
| caves dug out of the hard clay of the ravine...inside | | | | The region produces two DOC wines, Aglianico del |
| those black holes, with earthen walls, I saw the beds, | | | | Vulture and Terre dell Alta Val d'Agri. DOC stands for |
| the poor furnishings, the rag spreads. On the floors | | | | Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be |
| were sprawled dogs, sheep, goats, pigs. Each family | | | | translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, |
| had, in general, a single one of these caves for its | | | | presumably a high-quality wine. Only 2.4% of |
| entire residence and they all slept here together, | | | | Bascilicata wine carries the DOC designation. |
| men, women, children and animals. Twenty thousand | | | | If you like powerful wines, try the Aglianico del |
| people lived in this manner". | | | | Vulture from a local grape that grows on the extinct |
| Potenza with a population slightly under 70 thousand | | | | Mount Vulture volcano or its surrounding hills. This |
| is the capital of Basilicata. Here in a famous battle | | | | wine may be cellared for up to twenty years. The |
| Carthage definitively lost to Rome. The city has | | | | sparkling version may be dry or sweet. The red |
| known numerous invasions and earthquakes, the | | | | Terre dell Alta Val d'Agri is made from Merlot, |
| latest in 1980. During the Second World War Potenza | | | | Cabernet Sauvignon, and possibly some local red |
| was bombed heavily by the Allies. Monuments to see | | | | grapes. The rosé version may include some |
| include the Twelfth Century St. Gerard Cathedral, and | | | | local white grapes as well. |