Basilicata is a region in southern Italy. It is also often called Lucania, the name of an ancient region of pre-Roman origin which included a large part of the territory of today's Basilicata, as well as having been its official denomination in the Fascist era. Its inhabitants are called Lucanians, although the denomination of Basilicatesi is also, to a lesser extent, widespread, typically used in the past centuries by some local scholars. The toponym Basilicata is attested for the first time around the tenth century. The origin of this name is often associated with the Greek term Basilikos, the name by which the Byzantine rulers of the Region were called. Basilikos in Greek means "official of the king" and derives from another Greek word: Basileus (King). A more accredited thesis, makes the name derive from the Basilica of Acerenza, whose bishop had jurisdiction over the entire territory. This name appears for the first time in the Catalog of Norman barons of 1154. Another hypothesis, less accredited, is that the origin of the name is linked to that of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II Bulgaroctono. Over the centuries, the region has continued to maintain both names, despite the regional statute exclusively identifying the inhabitants with the denomination of Lucans.
Basilicata has an extension of approximately 10,073 km²; it borders Puglia to the north and east, Campania to the north and west, and Calabria to the south. The territory is mainly mountainous and hilly, only a very small percentage (8%) is flat. Despite being washed by two seas, the coastal stretches have a limited area. The climate varies depending on the area: mountainous with harsh winters and temperate summers in the innermost areas, Mediterranean with mild winters and hot summers in areas near the sea.
The region offers picturesque landscapes (Dolomiti Lucane, Pollino, Vulture) which can be visited all year round. Summer tourism is concentrated in Maratea (called the "pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea") on the Tyrrhenian coast, and the towns of Metapontino on the Ionian coast. The centers of greatest historical and cultural interest are Melfi, Venosa, Matera, Policoro and Metaponto.
Alongside the Italian language, there is a bilingual Arbëreshë minority who speak ancient Albanian. The dialect is very widespread, often more used than Italian itself. The Lucan dialect takes on different connotations depending on the area. The Vulture has some similarities with the Irpinia and Foggia dialects, the Materano with the Bari and Taranto dialects, the Pollino (in some municipalities) with the Cosenza dialect. In the area of Potentino and the Gulf of Policastro the dialect has a Gallo-Italic influence, with some lexical characteristics similar to the northern dialects.
«Many Lucanians go around the world, but nobody sees them, they are
not exhibitionists. The Lucan, more than any other people, live well in
the shade.
(Leonardo Sinisgalli)
Unlike the inhabitants of
other southern regions, who tend to be more casual and outgoing, the
Lucanians are mostly thoughtful people, capable of socializing without
being overly confidential. They often turn out to be very discreet and
don't like being the center of attention, especially outside the
regional borders. However, they do not disdain physical contact, with
handshakes, pats on the back and kisses on the cheeks as a sign of
esteem. Perhaps precisely because of excessive discretion, the Lucanians
are one of the least considered populations in the country and, not
infrequently, they are confused with inhabitants of other southern
regions, especially Campania and Puglia.
Although it is possible
to address the most disparate topics with the local people, who are
rarely parochial and jealous of their culture, a delicate subject that
could arouse heated discussions is oil, of which the region is very
rich, considered by a very large part of Lucanians a serious
environmental threat rather than a source of income.
The most
common traditions in Basilicata are those linked to the Catholic
religion, arboreal cult and brigandage. Until a few decades ago, magical
rites were still practiced, which were the subject of study by the
anthropologist Ernesto De Martino, as well as inspiring films and
documentaries such as Il demonio by Brunello Rondi and Magia lucana by
Luigi Di Gianni.
Due to obsolete connections, the absence of major communication
routes and a well-organized tourist promotion, Basilicata is one of the
most unknown and least visited regions of Italy. The proclamation of
Matera European Capital of Culture 2019 has ushered in an era of
concrete tourism development that seems to be bearing fruit; in fact,
Basilicata has acquired an excellent reputation in terms of
accommodation, just think of the awards obtained at the TTG Travel
Experience in Rimini and the surveys carried out by Demoskopika in
recent years.
Potentino - The territory of the city of Potenza
extends in the western part of the region up to the short stretch of
Tyrrhenian coast on the Gulf of Policastro and to Monte Pollino which
marks the border with Calabria.
Val Basento — The Basento, the
longest river in Basilicata, has its sources in Monte Arioso just north
of the capital. Its upper course has thick woods. The vegetation becomes
sparser in the stretch that affects the territory of Matera up to the
extremely barren landscapes that accompany its lower course. The
inhabited centers are perched high up and none lie on the valley floor.
Among these Bernalda deserves a mention for its urban layout wanted and
studied with the utmost care in 1492 by the secretary of King Alfonso II
of Aragon,
Lucanian Dolomites — The Lucanian Dolomites are reliefs
heavily eroded by atmospheric agents with fancifully shaped spiers that
recall the Triveneto Dolomites. The forest of Gallipoli Cognato, set up
as a natural park, extends at an altitude of about 1,300 m between the
deep gorges dug by the Rio di Caperrino, a tributary of the Basento and
is mainly made up of deciduous woods. The park offices are located in
the small center of Accettura. Other inhabited centers of the Lucanian
Dolomites are Pietrapertosa, among suggestive rocky landscapes and
Castelmezzano, listed in 2007 by the magazine "Budget Travel" among the
best places in the world not yet affected by mass tourism.
Vulture - The Vulture is the northern territory of Basilicata wedged
between Campania and Puglia. It takes its name from the homonymous
mountain (1326 m), a now extinct volcano. Venosa, counted among "The
most beautiful villages in Italy" has an interesting artistic heritage
as does Melfi, linked to the memory of Guglielmo I d'Altavilla, who in
1042 stole it from the Byzantines, electing it as his residence. The
small town of Monticchio is a holiday resort thanks to its idyllic
surroundings marked by a pair of small lakes of volcanic origin at the
foot of Mount Vulture.
Val d'Agri — A plateau starting from 600 m
a.s.l. and follows the course of the Agri river up to its mouth in the
gulf of Taranto. Part of the valley falls within the territory of the
Lucano-Val d'Agri-Lagonegrese Apennine National Park which embraces a
large part of the Lucanian Apennine up to the Sirino massif where there
are ski resorts. In the valley are the ruins of Grumentum, a Roman city
abandoned in the eighth century AD by its inhabitants following the
continuous incursions of Saracen pirates. The excavated material is kept
in the National Museum of the Alta Val d'Agri set up in the nearby
center of Grumento Nova. Among the other towns in the park, Brienza
should be mentioned at the confluence of the Val d'Agri with that of the
Melandro and surrounded by centuries-old chestnut and oak woods,
Castelsaraceno, perched on the slopes of Mount Raparolo at an altitude
of 900 m. a.s.l., Lagonegro at the foot of Monte Sirino and near the
idyllic lake Laudemio, the southernmost lake of glacial origin in
Europe, Satriano, seat of the Basilicata pepper academy, rich in murals
and influenced by the banks of the Melandro river, the all set in the
national park of the Lucanian Apennines.
Basilicata coast on the
Tyrrhenian Sea — Basilicata overlooks the gulf of Policastro for a short
stretch which opens onto the Tyrrhenian Sea and corresponds to the
territory of the municipality of Maratea located high up in a panoramic
position over the gulf. Seaside resorts on this particularly high and
steep stretch of coast are Marina di Maratea, Acquafredda, Castrocucco,
located on the coastal plain created by the Noce river on the border
with Calabria, Fiumicello and Porto, with a small mooring.
About 12
kilometers away from Maratea we have Trecchina, a small village located
500 m above sea level, halfway between the sea and the mountains.
Characteristic of Trecchina are the Piazza del Popolo adorned with lush
trees and well-kept gardens and the medieval village called Castello.
Pollino Massif — The village of Rotonda is located in the heart of
the park and is home to the administrative offices. A paleontological
and naturalistic museum has also been set up where the remains of an
Elephas antiquus italicus and a Hippopotamus antiquus are exhibited. The
surroundings of San Severino Lucano, a village at 877 m a.s.l. they are
characterized by thick woods with a rich fauna and interspersed with
luxuriant streams the main one of which is the Frido. Other towns on the
northern side of the Pollino are Castelluccio Superiore and Viggianello.
Latronico has a thermal establishment.
Materano - The territory
of the city of Matera occupies the eastern part of Basilicata and
consists of two different parts: a hilly area, a natural continuation of
the Apulian Murgia and a flat area on the Gulf of Taranto shown below.
The city of Matera is renowned worldwide for its "stones" The park of
the Murgia Materana was established in 1990 to protect the "stones of
Matera and the numerous rock churches scattered throughout its
territory, (about 150) founded by religious orders both of Orthodox and
Catholic rite.Other centers of interest are Tricarico with a very well
preserved medieval historical centre, Miglionico dominated by the castle
of Malconsiglio where in 1485 the conspiracy of the barons against King
Ferdinand I of Naples was hatched and the center of Montescaglioso with
a large Benedictine abbey dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo.
Metapontino - The flat area overlooking the Gulf of Taranto. It is
characterized by a sandy coast close to which there are vast pine
forests. The Bosco Pantano di Policoro is a WWF oasis. Also near the
modern village of Policoro is the site of Eraclea, a city of Lucanian
Magna Grecia and the National Archaeological Museum of Siritide where
finds and excavation material are kept ranging from the Neolithic to the
Roman age, Tursi was an important center during the Byzantine reconquest
of the tenth century and in 968 it was the capital of the theme of
Lucania. Metaponto was another important city of Magna Graecia where the
philosopher Pythagoras lived until his death in 490 BC. Today Metaponto
is an important seaside resort.
By plane
Bari-Palese airport is connected to Matera (64 km) by
shuttle buses of the regional bus consortium COTRAB and other private
(more expensive) ones. The Liscio bus lines of the regional consortium
operate a direct connection between Naples Capodichino airport and
Potenza (170 km covered in about two hours)
On boat
The towns
of Maratea, Pisticci and Policoro have tourist ports with facilities for
mooring private boats.
The port of Maratea, located in the hamlet
of the same name, is a popular landing place in the Mediterranean. It is
one of the best equipped and most beautiful marinas in Southern Italy.
In a strategic position in the Gulf of Policastro, it can contain over
500 boats, and is equipped with various services.
On the train
Basilicata is served by the Frecciarossa trains of Trenitalia, which
come from Salerno and stop in Potenza, Metaponto and Ferrandina.
The State Railways also make regional and inter-regional trains
available to cover the Foggia-Potenza or Salerno-Potenza sections.
On the Naples-Reggio Calabria line there are three stations in the
municipality of Maratea: the central station, that of Acquafredda and
that of Marina. For the timetables of trains arriving and departing from
Maratea, see the Rete Ferroviaria Italiana website.
There is also
a narrow-gauge railway from Bari to Matera and Potenza with trains of
the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane (FAL).
By bus
The State Railways
sometimes offer a replacement bus transport service for the
Foggia-Potenza or Salerno-Potenza sections.
The FAL railways also
run a (much faster) bus service for connections between Bari, Matera and
Potenza.
By car
There are few taxis in the region. The connecting roads are
quite winding due to the mountainous nature of the region.
On the
train
Those who don't have a car use the regional trains.
Prehistory — the Neolithic necropolis of Serra d'Alto near Matera has
yielded a lot of material, especially ceramics with geometric figures or
stylized representations of animals. The finds are exhibited in the
Domenico Ridola National Archaeological Museum in Matera.
Greco-Roman
Period — The archaeological site of Metaponto, a colony founded by the
Achaeans, is the most important in Basilicata. The finds are kept in a
museum annexed to the archaeological park. In the nearby town of
Pisticci numerous Attic-style ceramics were found produced by a single
artist who lived in the second half of the 5th century BC and is
referred to as the "Pittore di Pisticci". Unfortunately, the collection
of precious vases has been dispersed in the major museums of the world
(Louvre, British Museum, Metropolitan museum in New York, Vatican
Museums, etc). The National Archaeological Museum of Melfese set up in
the famous castle of Melfi exhibits pieces from the Roman era. Among
these stands out the Sarcophagus of Rapolla dating back to the 2nd
century AD. and found in the mid-nineteenth century.
Early Middle
Ages (Byzantine and Longobard domination) — The complex of the
Santissima Trinità in Venosa still reveals the paleo-Christian layout of
the 5th - 6th century AD. The monks of the Eastern rite who flocked to
Basilicata after the reconquest of Justinian found the ideal conditions
in the karst landscapes of Matera to lead the life of anchorites.
Another place of choice for oriental monasticism was the lower Agri
valley where the ruins of the abbey of Sant'Angelo al Monte Raparo
dating back to the 10th century are located. They were replaced by the
Benedictines who definitively abandoned the abbey at the beginning of
the 19th century. 700. The restorations were started in 1980 and also
involved the frescoes that are visible again today. The abbey is
situated in a suggestive position at the entrance to a huge karst cave
which opens at the foot of Monte Raparo, about 10 km from the town of
San Chirico Raparo
Norman and Swabian domination — Normans and
Swabians built numerous castles in the land of Basilicata, even if many
of these fortresses are now in ruins. The best known example is the
Castle of Melfi, one of the most important in the South. Other castles
that have come down to us in very good condition are the Castle of
Lagopesole, with an even more imposing appearance than the previous one,
which was the favorite residence of Manfredi, son of Frederick II; the
Castle of Valsinni, where the famous and unfortunate poetess Isabella di
Morra lived; and the Castle of Miglionico (better known as Castello del
Malconsiglio), where the conspiracy of the barons was organised, an
event which marked the Aragonese domination in the Kingdom of Naples.
The imposing Norman Tower of Tricarico which was the male of the castle
built in the century. XI, at the behest of Roberto il Guiscardo
transformed in 1333 into a monastery of the Poor Clares, it is 27 meters
high, with walls that are even more than 5 meters thick, decorated with
corbels and crowning arches, it stands practically intact on the
medieval historic center. Among the examples of Romanesque architecture
should be mentioned the cathedral of Matera. Of primary importance is
also the historic Torre di Satriano, built by the Normans on the tip of
a mountain halfway between the current Tito and Satriano.
Angevin and
Aragonese period — Gothic finds expression in the frescoes of some rock
churches of Melfi, in particular that of S. Margherita. Examples of
Renaissance architecture are the convent of Sant'Antonio in Rivello and
the Benedictine abbey of San Michele Arcangelo near Montescaglioso.
Majestic is the Aragonese Castle of Venosa, which welcomed princes,
patrons, intellectuals and artists in the Renaissance period.
XVII
and XVIII centuries — Palazzo Lanfranchi in Matera (1668-1672), church
of San Francesco also in Matera. Another very important building of the
period is the convent with annexed church of the Madonna del Carmine in
Tricarico. The complex was built in 1605 on a previous and older
building. The church, with a single nave, is embellished by the most
extensive cycle of frescoes by Pietro Antonio Ferro which cover the
walls and the vault of the presbytery. Although of Norman origin, the
Bishop's Palace of Melfi today has a purely Baroque layout, due to
continuous restorations due to earthquakes that seriously damaged the
original structure.
The night of the bonfires (Feast of Sant'Antonio abate) Trivigno,
15-16 January.
Carnival of Tricarico
Carnival of Satriano
The
Bonfires of S. Valentino (Patronal feast of Saint Valentine) Abriola 14
February and 14 August
The parade of the Turks Potenza, 29 May
San
Gerardo Maiella Muro Lucano International Poetry Prize, 1 January - 31
March
Regional Feast of San Gerardo Maiella Muro Lucano, 2 September
Feast of the Madonna della Bruna (patronal feast) Matera, 2 July
La
Storia Bandita - the largest cine-show in Italy, dedicated to the Lucan
brigandage, Brindisi Montagna, August - September
Agglutination Metal
Festival, international event of heavy metal music, Chiaromonte, August
In Sasso di Castalda you can experience the thrill of the void by tackling Tibetan bridges with harnesses and helmets. Same thing in Castelsaraceno where the longest Tibetan bridge in the world was built.
Lucanian cuisine is based on simplicity, mirroring a region where
age-old poverty drove farm workers to nutritious meals that were simple
and quick to prepare, with cheap ingredients. It is distinguished by the
extensive use of breadcrumbs, which in the past served as the "cheese of
the poor", and of spices such as chilli pepper and horseradish (known as
the "truffle of the poor"). The symbol of regional cuisine is the crusco
pepper, a dried pepper with a delicate flavor called the "red gold" of
Basilicata, which is used in numerous preparations in Basilicata. Given
the limited access to the sea, fish is rarely used. Of excellent quality
are cured meats, cheeses, vegetables, legumes, oil and bread.
Some examples of regional dishes are:
pasta with cruschi peppers -
first course with cruschi peppers, fried breadcrumbs and (optional)
flaked aged cheese.
tumact me tulez - tagliatelle with anchovy sauce,
breadcrumbs and walnuts
cod a ciauredda - fish dish with tomato
puree, onion, black olives and raisins
rafanata - omelette with
horseradish and pecorino, cooked on the grill or in the oven; it is
possible to add boiled potatoes or soppressata
gnummareddi - lamb or
goat offal wrapped in the same innards, generally cooked on the grill
grattonato - pork tripe with egg, cheese and bran pepper powder
acquasale - stale bread with egg, tomato and bran pepper
pastizz -
ancient calzone with a filling of pork, cheese and egg
glazed taralli
- also called anginetti, donut-shaped biscuits, with icing of sugar,
aniseed or wild fennel.
calzoncelli - also known as panzerotti, sweet
fried or baked ravioli filled with almond paste and chocolate
zests -
sweets prepared with egg whites, hazelnuts and melted chocolate
Among the quality products are worth noting:
Senise pepper IGP
Lucanica di Picerno PGI
Pecorino di Filiano PDO
Canestrato of
Moliterno PGI
PGI Matera bread
"Vulture" DOP Extra Virgin Olive
Oil
Rotonda DOP red aubergine
Orange Staccia di Tursi and
Montalbano Jonico DOP
Sarconi PGI bean
Rotonda PDO white bean
Aglianico del Vulture, a red of ancient tradition is the most famous
of the Lucanian wines, it is not for nothing that Aglianico del Vulture
Superiore is the only regional DOCG wine. Less known but not of inferior
quality are the DOC Terre dell'Alta Val d'Agri, Matera and Grottino di
Roccanova wines. Well known is Amaro Lucano; other drinks are Birra
Morena, Gassosa Avena and Semper Freddo, a sweet liqueur with Aglianico
flavored with black cherry.
The mineral waters of Basilicata,
known for their natural effervescence, are among the most renowned at a
national level, to the point of attracting investments from giants such
as Coca Cola, Norda and San Benedetto which control their production
through some local companies.
Basilicata has a low crime rate, especially when compared to that of the neighboring regions, and the two provinces Potenza and Matera often appear at the top of the rankings regarding the safest Italian cities.
The territory of Basilicata is mainly mountainous (47%) and hilly
(45%) with a small flat percentage (8%). It has only one large plain:
the Piana di Metaponto. The massifs of Pollino (Monte Pollino - 2,248 m)
and Sirino (Monte Papa - 2,005 m), Monte Alpi (1,900 m), Monte Raparo
(1,764 m) and the mountain range of Maddalena (Monte Volturino, 1,835 m)
they constitute the major reliefs of the Lucanian Apennines.
In
the north-western area of the region there is a non-active volcano,
Mount Vulture. The hills make up 45.13% of the territory and are of the
clayey type, subject to erosion phenomena which give rise to landslides.
The plains occupy 8% of the territory. The largest is the plain of
Metaponto which occupies the southern part of the region, along the
Ionian coast.
The Lucanian rivers are torrential in nature and
are the Bradano, the Basento, the Agri, the Sinni, the Cavone, the Noce
and the Ofanto on the border with Puglia and Campania. Furthermore,
there are streams of considerable importance in the region, including
the Sauro stream which flows into Agri and the Gravina di Matera and
Picciano streams into the Bradano river. Among the lakes, those of
Monticchio have volcanic origins, while those of Pietra del Pertusillo,
San Giuliano, Monte Cotugno and Gannano were built artificially for
drinking and irrigation purposes. Lake Camastra is also artificial, the
waters of which are made potable. The coasts of the Ionian coast are low
and sandy while those of the Tyrrhenian coast are high and rocky (Gulf
of Policastro).
Basilicata has a great environmental diversity
and is divided into six different sub-zones:
Vulture-Melfese to the
north-east with characteristics of plateaus mostly sown with wheat,
while in the Vulture area we have alternating woods and vines;
Potentino/Lucan Dolomites to the north-west with a prevalence of woods
and mountains with an average height of 1,200-1,500 metres;
Pollino
massif/Monte Sirino to the south-west, which represent the real Lucan
mountains with altitudes even higher than 2,000 meters and a strong
presence of forests and woods;
Val d'Agri in the centre-west, a
plateau starting from 600 m a.s.l. and follows the course of the Agri
river until it converges in the plain of Metaponto;
Matera hill in
the centre-east which presents hills and high hills with a large
presence of barren clays and gullies;
Metapontino to the
south-southeast which is a vast alluvial plain where intensive
industrial agriculture is practiced and a type of low and sandy coast.
These diversities are expressed both at the faunal level, at the
floristic one and finally at the climatic one.
The whole area of Basilicata is considered to be at moderate or high seismic risk, especially in the hinterland and the reliefs of the Lucanian Apennines, both to the north towards the border with Campania and to the south towards the border with Calabria. Relatively lower is the seismic risk on the coasts and in the flat areas. The most serious earthquake ever recorded in Basilicata, as well as one of the most serious in the history of the peninsula, occurred in 1857, with its epicenter in Montemurro, which caused about 11,000 victims.
The climate of Basilicata changes from area to area; in fact a
relevant characteristic is that the Region is exposed to two seas. The
eastern part of the region (not having the protection of the Apennine
chain) is influenced by the Adriatic Sea, to which must be added the
orography of the territory and the irregular altitude of the mountains.
But despite the diversity, the region's climate can be described as
continental, with Mediterranean characteristics only in the coastal
areas. In fact, if you go a few kilometers inland, especially in winter,
the mildness is immediately replaced by a harsh and humid climate.
It has four climatic areas respectively divided as follows:
Ionian plain of Metapontino, where mild and rainy winters alternate with
hot and dry, but quite windy, summers.
Tyrrhenian coast. Here the
same affinities with the climate of the Ionian area are found, with the
only difference that in winter the temperature is slightly higher and in
summer it is slightly cooler and the humidity is very accentuated.
Matera hill, where the Mediterranean climatic characteristics are
considerably attenuated going inland: already starting from 300-400
meters the winters become cold and foggy, and snow can appear several
times a year from November to late March . Here, too, summers are hot
and dry, with fairly high daily temperature ranges.
Apennine
mountain, which corresponds to almost half of the regional territory.
Here the winters are very cold, with temperatures that can even reach
-15 °C, especially above 1,000 meters of altitude, where the snow on the
ground remains until mid-spring, but it can remain until the end of May
on the higher hills . In Potenza, the regional capital located at 819
meters above sea level, winter can be very snowy, and temperatures can
even drop many degrees below zero, making it one of the coldest cities
in Italy. Summers are moderately hot, although night temperatures can be
very cool. The most frequent winds come mainly from the western and
southern quadrants.
The Basilicata region hosts eleven protected areas in its territory,
of which two are national parks and two are regional:
the Pollino,
divided between Basilicata and Calabria; the largest national park in
Italy, included in the list of UNESCO world geoparks
the Val d'Agri
two regional parks (Gallipoli Cognato Natural Park - Small Lucanian
Dolomites and Natural History Archaeological Park of the Rupestrian
Churches of Matera)
seven regional nature reserves
The
protected areas occupy about 30% of the entire regional surface.
The north of the region alternates large clearings with sporadic
hazelnut, hawthorn and wild rose plants with bare agricultural areas and
woods which are essentially made up of chestnut, Turkey oak, English oak
and southern oak trees, the presence of the local linden of the southern
subspecies is very rare and beech, accompanied by more Mediterranean
tree and shrub species such as downy oak, field maple, lesser maple,
Neapolitan maple, holly, wild pear, oriental hornbeam, white hornbeam,
black poplar, white poplar, various species of willows, which alternate
depending on the favorable altitude only above 600/700 meters as on
Vulture. Biodiversity is complex in the Lucanian Apennines and in the
Val d'Agri as the area goes from 300 to 2000 meters above sea level
showing ecological heterogeneity. The mountain phytoclimatic belt which
is located from 1,000 to 1,800 m is the one in which the beech woods of
Monti Maruggio, Arioso and Pierfaone fall, also present Aceri: Acero di
Lobel, Acer Opalus and Acero Campestre as well as Carpinella.
In
the area of the Rifreddo wood, on the other hand, beech prevails and, at
lower altitudes, forests of Turkey oak, Italian oak and southern oak.
Heliophilous woods are not rare where you can admire the oriental
hornbeam, hop hornbeam, hazelnut and the opal maple subspecies
neapolitanum. Among the herbaceous plants, the following are typically
present in the Apennine areas and in the valleys: Veronica officinalis,
Anemone apennina, Scilla bifolia, Atropa belladonna and Allium ursinum,
in the fresher and more fertile valleys they appear in extensive
vegetable beds together with Sambucus nigra and Galantus nivalis. Going
below 1000 meters, the common broom continues to be frequent, as in the
whole region. In addition to the forest and undergrowth typical of the
Apennines, the Pollino area has sandy and rocky bottoms, where there is
low and sparse vegetation called "gariga", made up of species, sometimes
aromatic, such as cistus, thyme and germander arboreal; in other cases
the "Mediterranean steppe" predominates with perennial grasses with some
specimens of juniper up to 900 m above sea level, thanks to
microclimatic conditions determined by the rock's ability to accumulate
heat.
The most representative endemic species are the Neapolitan
alder and the Loricato pine, emblem of the Pollino Park, which towers
impressively, up to 2200 meters, in groups or isolated. The bark recalls
the lorica of Roman soldiers, hence the name, used in the past for the
construction of furniture and boats. The loricate pine is, today, a
protected species. The following are found in the area along the
grasslands: mountain yarrow, major gentian, mountain asphodel, wild
narcissus, major saffron, woolly buttercup, and various species of
Orchidaceae such as Orchis mascula and Dactiylorhiza latiifoglia. Sea
fennel is widespread in the marine area of the coast of Maratea, there
are also Salerno limonium and on the beaches some specimens of the
yellow sand poppy, also known as horned poppy. Further up: the
cornflower of the cliffs, the rupicolous carnation, the maritime
cineraria and the Neapolitan bellflower. Exclusive to the area of the
Gulf of Policastro is the rare Primula palinuri, this protected species
of ancient origins is paleoendemic and has survived several geological
eras. The landscape is dominated by trimmings and euphorbia. In the
Matera area, the flora is slightly more homogeneous in the Murgia area,
where there are about 36 endemic species and 60 rare ones. Woods are
sporadic in the Matera area, but there are typically Mediterranean
species of trees and shrubs such as: downy oak, fragno , thorny oak in
the calliprinos variety, carob and holm oak, juniper, mastic, broom, and
species of the "gariga" such as cistus, butcher's broom, thorny thyme,
ferula and asphodel. There are numerous flowers such as the meadow
widow, the Apulian bellflower, the Ionian rock rose, the bindweed,
Tommasini flax, Thomas saffron and the ofris matheolana, a small and
rare endemic orchid. Typical of the gullies area, arid and clayey bare,
is the alimo, a species suitable for desertified environments.
The toponym Basilicata is attested for the first time around the 10th
century: the origin of this name has various hypotheses:
the term
Basilikos in Greek means "official of the king" and derives from the
Greek word Basileus, denomination of the monarch and therefore of the
Byzantine emperors called precisely Basileus and Basilissa dei Romei
(King and Queen of the Romans); however it seems that Byzantine
officials called Basilici never existed employed by the emperors, in
fact the subdivisions of the kingdom called thema were districts
governed by generals, and the civil-military province in question was
called Lucania also in the Byzantine era. The chronology of the sources
shows that the term is found for the first time in the Catalog of Norman
barons of 1154, therefore it would indicate a posteriori a dependency of
the region of the Eastern Roman Empire, given that this was already
occupied by the Normans since 1150.
another thesis makes the name
derive from the basilica of Acerenza, whose bishop had jurisdiction over
the entire territory. This name appears for the first time in the
Catalog of Norman barons of 1154.
Lucania (together with the
ethnonym Lucani) instead has different philological roots:
the first
is «leucos», a Greek word, transmitted to the Latin meaning: «white»,
«glossy», in fact a legend has it that the name was given by a people
heading south, once they arrived in a land from which they could see the
Sun rose, and that the name Lucania therefore indicated "Land of Light";
possible is the origin from «lucus», that is "sacred wood";
the
hypothesis of origin from the Greek «lycos», i.e. "wolf" is also
accredited; if this were the case, the etymology would be completely
similar to that of the Hirpini tribe (located immediately north of the
Lucanians), whose ethnonym derives from the Oscan «hirpos» which also
meant "wolf"
Although the regional statute provides exclusively
for the use of the word Lucan to identify its inhabitants, there is also
a certain diffusion of the Basilicata ethnicity, especially between the
19th and early 20th centuries. Local scholars such as Giustino
Fortunato, Giacomo Racioppi, Tommaso Claps and Giuseppe Gattini, as well
as other scholars such as Benedetto Croce and Angelo De Gubernatis
resorted to the use of the term. It was Racioppi who proposed its use
together with basilicaioti and basilicani, although the latter never
found space in the common language. The appellation basilisk is rarer,
mentioned in Wolfgang Schweickard's Deonomasticon Italicum (which lists
other variants such as basilicatense and basilicatino, in addition to
the aforementioned basilicatese) which circulated in the first decades
of the 1900s, sometimes with a negative meaning, above all by the press
and political opponents against personalities such as Francesco
Ciccotti, rival and former colleague of Mussolini at the time of the
Socialist Party, and Francesco Saverio Nitti, in office as prime
minister of the Italian kingdom.
The question of the territorial
denomination was already debated in the early 19th century. In 1820, the
proposal was made in the parliament of the Two Sicilies to rename the
provinces of Basilicata and Principato Citra (whose territories roughly
corresponded to ancient Lucania), with the appellations of Eastern
Lucania and Western Lucania. The debate intensified after the
unification of Italy. Michele Lacava was one of the major promoters of
the restoration of Lucania which he considered "splendid and national",
as opposed to Basilicata which he considered "foreign and obscure",
coming into conflict with Racioppi who defended the current name. Lacava
considered Basilicata a name imposed «in honor of Basil II, Byzantine
emperor, ferocious despot and hypocrite» and reported how Lucania was
still alive in the memory of the inhabitants after centuries. Fortunato,
a staunch supporter of the toponym Basilicata, considered Lucania a
memory of the past, noting how the borders of the two regions were
different and had this to say: «born Basilicatese, Basilicatese - and
not Lucan - I hope to die». During the Fascist period, the regional
territory resumed the name Lucania, but with the birth of the Republic
it returned to being called Basilicata. Carlo Levi, who stayed there in
the Fascist and Republican eras, testified that the peasants with whom
he had contacts mostly favored the name Lucania and were more inclined
to introduce themselves as Lucanians. The debate over the identification
of the region and residents still persists.
Ancient Lucania was much larger than today's Basilicata; in addition to this, in fact, it included vast territories belonging today to two other regions: Campania (Cilento and Vallo di Diano in the Salerno area) and Calabria (it reached Sibari, Turi, and the Lao river, in the Cosentino area). However, it did not include the lands east of the Bradano river, therefore Matera itself, but also the northernmost area of Vulture, whose main city was Venusia, at the time of the Dauni. These geographical borders reflect the situation following the split between the Bruttii (ancient inhabitants of Calabria) and the Lucani which took place in 356 BC. with the border between the two regions in the isthmus between Turi and Cirella (Little Lucania). Before this date, sources from the 5th century onwards referred to a vast area, conventionally called by the moderns Grande Lucania, which extended as far as the Strait of Messina and was inhabited by people of Samnite stock. The aforementioned north-eastern borders of Lucania were then maintained in the establishment of the Augustan regions, which took place around 7 AD: the lands of the Lucanians (on this side of the Bradano) became part of the Regio III Lucania et Bruttii, while Matera and the Vultures of Regio II Apulia and Calabria.
In prehistory, the first human settlements date back to the lower
Paleolithic and Mesolithic shelters. From the 5th millennium BC
settlements in fortified villages spread, and a local indigenous culture
existed in the Iron Age. From the 8th century BC. the Greek colony of
Siris (of Micro-Asian motherland) was founded and around 630 BC. that of
Metaponto, of Achaean colonization, completing the occupation of the
Ionian coast, while in the interior the indigenous communities continue
to flourish. The first contacts of the Romans with the Lucanians took
place with a temporary anti-Samnite alliance around 330 BC. After the
conquest of Taranto in 272 BC, Roman rule extended to the whole region.
The Via Appia was extended up to Brindisi and the colonies of Potentia
(Potenza) and Grumentum were founded.
At the end of the 5th
century Lucania was already widely Christianized and after the fall of
the Roman Empire it remained in Byzantine possession until the Lombard
conquest in 568, becoming part of the Duchy of Benevento. In 968, after
the Byzantine conquest, the theme of Lucania was established, with its
capital Tursikon (now Tursi). With the arrival of the Normans, the theme
disappeared favoring the birth of the duchy of Puglia and Calabria, of
which Melfi (formerly the seat of the County of Puglia) was initially
the capital. With the Constitutions of Melfi, promulgated by Frederick
II of Swabia, the execution of Basilicata was born in 1231. The borders
of the executioner almost completely coincided with today's region, with
the exclusion of Matera (which will enter in 1663) and some areas of
Melandro, Val d'Agri and Metapontino. Under Angevin domination,
Basilicata went through a profound demographic crisis but in the second
half of the fifteenth century there was a certain recovery, also due to
the arrival of Greek-Albanian exiles from the Balkan regions of the
Byzantine Empire after the fall of Constantinople.
Between the 15th and 16th centuries, Basilicata was the scene of
conflicts between France and Spain: Miglionico hosted the conspiracy of
the barons against Ferrante of Aragon, in Rionero the generals Louis
d'Armagnac and Consalvo Fernandez of Cordova met in vain peaceful
partition of the Kingdom of Naples, and Melfi suffered a heavy siege by
the French army. Under the Spanish viceroyalty, it was largely subjected
to the jurisdiction of the Principality of Citra but in 1642 it obtained
institutional autonomy, assigning the first seat of the Royal Audience
of Basilicata to Stigliano. When Masaniello's revolt broke out in Naples
in 1647, a popular uprising led by Matteo Cristiano and Francesco
Salazar involved the whole region, which adhered to the Republic, but
the revolt was quickly repressed. In 1663 a new province was created for
Basilicata, to ensure greater control, with the capital in Matera, until
then part of the Terra d'Otranto.
In 1735, Basilicata passed
under the dominion of the Bourbons of Naples. In the wake of the events
of 1799, Avigliano, even before Naples, planted the tree of liberty and
proclaimed the Neapolitan Republic; from there the revolts spread
throughout the region, but the revolution was stifled by the Sanfedist
army of Cardinal Ruffo, subjugating the cities of Potenza, Melfi, Tito
and Picerno.
The French returned seven years later, despite the
resistance of the population (which, in large part, manifested loyalty
to the Bourbon crown), placing cities such as Lauria, Maratea and
Viggiano under siege. The French reorganized the administrative
structure and moved the seat of the then province of Basilicata from
Matera to Potenza. Charles Antoine Manhès, setting his headquarters in
Potenza, carried out a very violent but effective repression against the
brigandage that was raging in the Basilicata and Calabrian countryside.
With the return of the Bourbons, in 1848 the radical forces attempted,
unsuccessfully, to set up a provisional government in Potenza, after
Ferdinand II had withdrawn the liberal constitution, a few months after
its promulgation.
In August 1860, Basilicata was the first mainland province of the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to declare its annexation to the nascent
unitary state, while Garibaldi was still in Sicily. Once Bourbon
authority fell, Garibaldi's army arrived in Basilicata without
encountering any difficulties, touching the towns of Rotonda, Maratea
and Lagonegro. The expedition was joined by about three thousand
volunteers from the "Cacciatori Lucani" brigade, which followed
Garibaldi until its disbandment in November of the same year.
After the annexation, however, Basilicata, afflicted by remote poverty
and, at the time, the most backward and isolated province of the Bourbon
kingdom, saw its hopes of social change thwarted: the failure to promise
a redistribution of state property, the quo maintained by the ruling
class and the incomprehension of the royal government, generated the
discontent of the popular class, which resulted in an armed revolt.
Banditry, an endemic phenomenon of the South of which the Bourbon
monarchy made use of whenever its kingdom was threatened by foreign
powers, at the dawn of the unification of Italy assumed the
characteristics of a real civil war which involved the provinces of the
'former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies for about ten years, causing
thousands of deaths among rioters and troops of the royal army.
Basilicata was the province with the largest number of gangs, of which
there were 47 in total. The most well-known, headed by Carmine Crocco,
made the Vulture their base of operations.
Once banditry was
defeated, Basilicata, like all of Italy at the time, began to suffer the
scourge of emigration; a phenomenon that still afflicts the region.
Between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century,
southernism began to emerge, a political-cultural movement in favor of
the South which among its exponents included Lucan personalities such as
Giustino Fortunato, Francesco Saverio Nitti, Ettore Ciccotti and
Raffaele Ciasca. Thanks to the commitment of the southerners, Basilicata
experienced a slight but fundamental development, with the construction
of schools, communication routes, aqueducts, and policies of reclamation
and pharmacological treatment.
Under fascism, Basilicata (which was renamed to Lucania) became a
land of confinement for opponents since Mussolini, excluding sporadic
episodes of rebellion and outrage against the regime, did not see
large-scale social movements that would have caused serious problems.
The most famous prisoner was Carlo Levi who, from his experience in
Basilicata, drew the novel Christ Stopped at Eboli, in which he
denounces the backwardness of the region, with which he established a
strong bond. With the abolition of the districts, the province of Matera
was established in 1927. However, at the end of the twenty years, there
were some episodes of popular insurrection, such as the revolt of San
Mauro Forte in March 1940 (at the end of which there were two victims),
where hundreds of peasants rebelled against the regime. Riots also broke
out in the municipalities of Bernalda, Pomarico, Salandra and Ferrandina
between 1943 and 1945 with real armed clashes.
In September 1943
cities such as Matera (the first city in the South to rise up against
the occupying Germans) and Rionero were victims of Nazi-fascist
reprisals while Potenza, Maratea and Lauria suffered from Allied
bombings. The Republic of Maschito, despite its short duration, was one
of the first republican experiences born of the Resistance. In 1944
there was the most serious Italian railway accident and one of the most
serious ever to occur, the Balvano disaster, in which more than five
hundred people died. After the war there were several popular unrest for
the redistribution of land to peasants, the most significant episode was
the occupation of the land that took place in Montescaglioso in December
1949, followed by a repression that led to the death of the
revolutionary Giuseppe Novello.
On November 23, 1980, Basilicata
was devastated by the Irpinia earthquake, which struck a large part of
the Potenza area. In 1993, the Sassi of Matera were declared a World
Heritage Site protected by UNESCO, the first site in southern Italy to
receive this recognition. At the beginning of 2000, movements such as
"Grande Lucania" arose, which proposed the restoration of the borders of
the pre-Roman region by aggregating the territories of Cilento to
Basilicata; and "Taranto Futura", with the aim of favoring the
transition of the province of Taranto to the Basilicata region, but both
projects were not implemented. In 2003, the decree passed by the
Berlusconi government, which provided for the installation of a
radioactive waste deposit in Scanzano Jonico, caused an intense protest
which was joined by over 100,000 people which led the government to
cancel the proposal.
Demographic evolution
Basilicata is the penultimate region in
terms of population density, higher only than the Valle d'Aosta; and
third last for number of inhabitants, before Molise and Valle d'Aosta.
The region suffers from depopulation due to the migratory phenomenon and
the drop in births, partly compensated by foreign immigration. Between
1951 and 2019, there was a substantial increase in the population only
in the four most developed areas of the region (Materano, Metapontino,
Potentino, Vulture). The phenomenon is more pronounced in Matera and in
the Metapontino area, particularly in the municipalities of Nova Siri,
Scanzano Jonico, Bernalda and Policoro.
Matera has had a
significant increase due both to the so-called lounge pole, which gave
rise to many small businesses related to the field of furnishings, and
to the activities that arose due to the large influx of tourists
generated by the interest in the historic city center which has become
the "Heritage of 'humanity". In Potenza, after a demographic boom
between the 1950s and the early 2000s, there was a period of stalemate,
while some neighboring towns (Tito and Pignola), and Marsicovetere, in
Val d'Agri, experienced systematic growth.
On the other hand,
there is a strong depopulation of the villages in the hinterland; some
towns in the province of Matera which, between the 1960s and 1970s
reached, on average, 10,000 inhabitants such as Tricarico, Montalbano
Jonico, Irsina and Stigliano saw their population halve. Numerous
departures also take place in various mountain municipalities of
Potentino and Val d'Agri (for example Anzi, Laurenzana, Corleto
Perticara, Montemurro), of Pollino (Latronico, Viggianello, Chiaromonte)
and in the municipalities most affected by the 1980 Irpinia earthquake
such as Balvano, Castelgrande and Pescopagano. In 2019, the demographic
balance of the region, compared to the 2011 census, shows a decrease of
-5.5 ‰ (equal to 24,782 units), a trend that is getting worse from year
to year.