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Discover Basilicata
Among all the undiscovered marvels that remain in Italy, there is Basilicata. A land of light. A land that makes you fall in love. This is a land for anyone who wants to discover the charm of travelling secondary roads giving great views of mountain ridges and rolling hills amongst unusual landscapes.
Basilicata is a place of strong harmony and contrast. From the lush forests of the Potenza area and the arid, lunar landscapes near Matera, to the sandy beaches of the Ionian and the jagged coast-line of the Tyrrhenian, you’ll find green pastures and golden wheat-fields.
This is a region of vast horizons and profound silence. The beauty of the landscape here is unique with undertones of harsh melancholy and untouched places that seem forgotten by time.
Basilicata’s natural beauty, ancient culture, deeply rooted local traditions, genuinely Mediterranean food (denoted by its deliciously simple flavours and smells), and above all the warmth and hospitality of its people, will capture you and leave you with an unforgettable feeling.
The Tyrrhenian coast
La costa tirrenica, un piccolo paradiso marino, si caratterizza per le numerose spiaggette di sabbia e scogli.
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Rain Concert
The sea and Magna Grecia
This small region is bordered by two seas: to the southwest is the Tyrrhenian, with the rocky coast of Maratea, splendid pearl surrounded by mountains and nature; to the southeast is the Ionian, with long sandy beaches stretching for 30 km, from Metaponto to Nova Siri. This coastline borders a fertile plain, rich in fruit groves and archaeological digs from the periods of Greek colonization.
The land along the Ionian coast, is a must see for those passionate about archaeology. For it is here that the first Greek colonies were established, in the 8th.century B.C., creating such places as the polis of Magna Grecia – and the towns of Metaponto, Nova Siri, and Policoro, and giving birth to a prosperous and blossoming culture, which is still present today. This presence can be seen not only in the names of these places, but also in the traditions, food and dialects. The beautifully preserved archaeological sites bear witness to the great heritage of this area.
The Vulture Land
Vulture is the North Land of Basilicata. The name comes from the Vulture Volcano, today estinguished with a fertil ground all around that still today is conditioning life in this land, rich with mineral waters and Aglianico vineyards. Man is witnessed here from the Palaeolithic age (the Notarchirico area near Venosa) and Neolithic villages, where today we have Melfi and Banzi, where the “Dauni” lived. 
The old colony Venusia, founded in 291 b.C., has a rich archaeological park with stratified witnesses inside the During the Middle Ages Vulture was the centre of historical facts of that time. Here King Frederick II had two of his Castles (the Melfi and the Lagopesole ones) today wonderful Museums.
Another period rich of events followed the Italian Unification (1861) with the rebellion called Brigantaggio, a real Civil war fought by the Peasant Bandits against the Savoia army. The Pollino Park and the Dolomites
The greater part of the Basilicata territory is covered by mountains, with areas often difficult to reach that have conserved an almost wild character, where the presence of humans is marginal and one can immerse one-self in undisturbed nature.Tranquillity, fresh air, extensive forests and immense meadows, make the Lucano mountains an ideal place for those passionate about trekking, mountain-biking, horse-back riding, rock-climbing and bird-watching.The Matera hills
worked by the patient hand of man over time. Every now and again, on the hillside, appears a great old tree, a little country house, or a large farm-house, or some small town rich in history and charm, sheltered by mountain peaks that defended it for years from malaria and the assaults of conquerors.How many hands worked in these fields and who can imagine how many stories this land holds?
Along the valleys of Bradano and Basento, are the more fertile lands, protected from the south-east by the warm winds of the sea and from the north-west by the rocky peaks and verdant forests of the mountains.Travelling further south, the landscape becomes dryer 
and harsher, almost desert-like.
Here the mountains jut out like bare skeletons worn away by landslides and the erosion of time. The land vacillates between the safety and refuge of the mountain-side and the openness and vulnerability at the edge of a canyon.
The Rock Church Park
Excursions in the Matera Rock Church Park are particularly charming and promise to reveal many natural and unexpected historical treasures.
over 150 rock cliff churches that give testimony to the diffusion of religion in the countryside; numerous settlements dating back from the Palaeolithic (e.g the “Grotta dei Pipistrelli” or “Cave of Bats”)Diana Bellavista and the Neolithic eras, with village ruins and artefacts (like the ceramics of Diana Bellavista and Serra d’Alto); and finally all the impressions left by a civilization which had to cope with a land that was uncongenial to human survival: 
the ways in which the limestone rock was used shows the passage from novel and rupestrian ways to constructed structures such as the fortified farms.the Sassi of Matera
For the first time traveller to Matera, the discovery of a town so unusual and old is a breathtaking experience.One of the most fascinating historic centres in Italy, is within the city of Matera. One could describe the ancient district of Matera, the Sassi, as one gigantic sculpture that has been carved out of the rock along the side of a ravine. In essence, it is an urban miracle, where it is possible to discern many different signs of the rich, long history this city has witnessed over the course of many centuries.
The Sassi are built along the right bank of a ravine that presents itself as a labyrinth of winding streets, neighbourhoods, squares, caves, rock churches and cantinas that are sunken into the viscera of the earth.Some parts of the habitations are literally carved out of the rock, while other parts have been constructed or added. 
roofs of the houses would have served one of two purposes: as a pathway upon which people could walk; or as the floor of the home above it. Behind every door, there awaits an architectural gem. The type of habitation (Cavernous, court-yard, attached or terraced), can be differentiated by its historic period and orografic position.
This same differentiation may be made with respect to religious buildings. There are around ten rock-cliff churches within the Sassi, and over a hundred and fifty in the whole territory along the ravine.
Then, there are the constructed churches of various periods dispersed throughout the town, such as the Romanesque “Cattedrale” (Cathedral) and the church of “San Giovanni” (Saint John), or the Baroque churches of “San Francesco” (Saint Francis) and “Purgatorio” (Purgatory), all beautifully constructed on the plateau of the 
ravine, bordering the more modern part of the city.The Sassi were abandoned in the 1950’s, when its inhabitants were moved to the new/modern neighbourhoods. In the last fifteen years the Sassi have been re-evaluated and numerous renovation projects have begun.
It was in 1993 that UNESCO formally recognized the Sassi as a world heritage site.