Basilicata

Pietro nel mondo

Matera Potenza

I explored Matera from this land, a city where there is something to discover at every corner and makes you proud to be Italian; the Murgia with the golden colors of the fields and its villages perched on the hills, and finally the Ionian coast with the blue sea and large white sand beaches. And not to forget that this land was part of Magna Graecia, a few kilometers from the coast, between the Bradano and Basento rivers, is the archaeological site of Metaponto. The strong point of Basilicata is the landscape, and I still miss to see the Potentino, the Tyrrhenian beaches overlooking the Gulf of Policastro, the Pollino National Park. My favorite dish of Lucanian cuisine is Crapiata, a soup rich in legumes and vegetables; also exquisite Fave and Chicorie. The Materano bread is excellent, and the fruit, in particular the pink figs of Pisticci and the strawberries of Policoro. Among the wines I point out a red: the Primitivo di Matera.

Province of Matera

Area: 3478,89 Km² Municipalities: 31

travel stories...

Matera

Metaponto

Montescaglioso

The Città dei Sassi, a world heritage site, did not disappoint my expectations. Easily parked in the new part, in a few steps you are in the historic center where the narrow streets merge into private courtyards, and the view makes you think you are part of an immense crib. Given the gloomy day, I found shelter in the numerous churches and the hours quickly passed before my eyes enraptured by so much beauty. In the evening I went to dinner in one of those little restaurants carved into the rock; copper ladles and large antique keys on the walls, and candle and plant on the table. In this romantic atmosphere, I accompanied the broad bean soup served with croutons of hot bread to a glass of Primitivo della Lucania. Then a walk to the Duomo where, overlooking a belvedere, the thousands of lights that illuminate the old town filled my heart with emotion. I'll be back!

This excursion to Metapontum, site of Magna Graecia, starts off on the wrong foot. Arrived in front of the Archaeological Park, I find it closed. From the low fence you can see something, and take some photos of the remains of the ancient city dating back to the 4th century BC; from a distance it is difficult to admire what remains of the temples and the hemicycle theater. I move a few kilometers to the Tavole Palatine area. There, yes, I fill my eyes with such beauty surrounded by the columns of what was once the Temple of the goddess Hera. Unfortunately the columns, made of limestone, have suffered from the wear of time; five remained standing on one side and ten on the other; this did not prevent a soap opera on the site using the drone; a sign that this place still arouses emotions. Then in the evening, passing on the Ionian state road, I saw the illuminated columns; show!

Of these lands visited on a sunny summer afternoon, I remember an insect bite, perhaps a bee, near the Montescaglioso sign. Surrounded by fields of magnificent colors, the town is perched on a hill and is part of the Murgia Materana Regional Park. The village contains numerous churches, but you have to cross it all to get to the site that earned it the nickname of "jewel": the Benedictine Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo; from up there you can see a good part of the Bradano river valley; you can breathe an atmosphere of serenity already walking along the cloisters, but it is necessary to continue the visit inside and in particular to the crypt to understand the importance of this monastery. I am planning to return for Easter when on the occasion of Holy Week there are many and original religious and folkloric initiations; in that case I will rewrite the story with the emotions of the moment.

Marina di Nova Siri

Policoro

Scanzano Jonico

I was on the highway for a week in Southern Italy. Without a reservation as I often do, call here, call there, all the hotels I had signed up for before leaving were occupied. Except in Policoro. Arrived by chance, I was fine. The first thing that strikes you are the Walled Gardens, very well kept. In the center Piazza Eraclea: on one side there is the modern Church of Maria Santissima del Ponte with a white facade; white is the color that predominates in the square. On the other three sides it was pleasant to walk with an ice cream under the illuminated arcades. In the center of the square there is a statue of Hercules (Eraclea is the ancient name of the city) fighting with the lion. I also saw the Baronial Palace, once home to the noble Berlingieri family, now home to elegant restaurants. The beach, a favorite place for my afternoons, is very wide and has very light sand. The color of the sea is pale blue.

I have always had the curiosity to know this country since, in 2003, the government at the time decided that the country would be the storage center for Italian nuclear waste. The brave inhabitants of this small village opposed the regime at the time, preventing this destruction. The area destined for radioactive waste is called Terzo Cavone, and today it is a beautiful beach of fine sand with a crystalline sea. To get there, you walk a long time in a large pine forest, and then rest your feet in this soft sand before a dip in the warm waters of the Ionian Sea. Among the monuments of this decidedly modern seaside town, I point out the Church of the Assumption built in the mid-twentieth century and the Baronial Palace of the nineteenth century. All around is the countryside, which among the chirping of crickets, produces many delicacies. First of all, the strawberries that compete on a par with those typical of Policoro.

I arrived in this beach in the afternoon. I took off my shoes and walked on the sand between the bathing establishments to the sea that day a little rough; walking west, after a few hundred meters, where the beach is free and a little wild, I reached the border with the Calabria region. There were no indications but the maps told me that I had one foot in one region and one in the other. However, I did not arrive by chance in this location. In the evening, after a long wait, there was a concert by Loredana Bertè. That day the waterfront was dotted with stalls and street food. A pizza in one of the many restaurants on the beach and I'm ready together with hundreds of people to attend the event. And off to the concert with "And the moon knocked", "The winter sea", "You are beautiful" until the success of the moment "I don't tell you no", for a magical evening.