| | Basilicata: Described as Italy’s last, true wilderness, dark forested valleys and grand mountain ranges of the Lucanian Apennines. It’s rivers keep the region well watered and its wild life and flora can be appreciated particularly in the Monte Pollino National Park. Here in winter there is excellent skiing while in summer it is an ideal environment for walkers and nature lovers. Known as the breadbasket of Italy because of the huge amount of wheat grown here, it is sparsely populated with its countryside littered with hill-towns.
Frederick 11, born in Sicily, whose titles included King of Germany, Sicily, Naples and Jerusalem and Holy Roman Emperor, and known at the time of Stupor Mundi – Wonder of the World, made the region one of the most important in the known world for a time. Reminders of his reign still abound, especially in the castles he inherited from the Normans and now housing museums or forming the crypts of churches and monasteries.
Basilicata entered the modern consciousness through the writing of the Italian writer, Carlo Levi, whose book, "Christ Stopped at Eboli", tells of his life and those of the people he spent two years with when exiled there for his anti-fascist views. His picture of poverty and superstition has unfairly been interpreted as being highly critical of them. |  |
| Irsina
The 13th-century Cathedral of Santa Maria Assumta, one of the most beautiful in the region, largely rebuilt at the end of the 18th century, with a very fine baptismal font from 1453 and a statue of Saint Eufemia believed to be a rare work of Andrea Mantagna. Church of St Francis, rebuilt in the 17th century over a 13th century monastery, with a fine crypt, which incorporates remains of a Norman castle, and many beautiful 14th century frescoes. Chiesa del Purgatorio, a 17th century church with works of Pietro Antonio Ferro, Francesco Polino and Andrea Miglionico. |  | | Matera and its Sassi (cave dwellings)Matera has become its most famous town with a variety of films made there including Mel Gibson’s "Passion of Christ", starring its spectacular Sassi, or cave dwellings, because of their resemblance to Palestine during Christ’s time. Matera is also a UNESCO world heritage site. For details click here...
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| Grotigli
Grottigli preserves the region’s tradition of fine pottery and this entire town appears to be given over to potters and their wares. |  | | Tourist Itinaries Here you can find ideas of other sights to see. For details click here... | 
| | Thematic ItinariesFrom the Oil, Wine and the Cheese Way to Bird watching and Dawn and Sunset on the Sea. Read more... |  | | CastlesVisit the castles in the region. For details click here... | 
| | Frescoes & ArtworkSee the frescoes and artwork in simple rock chapels to sumptuous baroque churches. For details click here...
|  | | Metaponto Metaponto, an Ancient Greek city – and the seat of the once powerful Magna Grecia, on the south coast, is well known to Italian holiday makers who converge on its miles of fine sandy beaches in the summer. Once a centre of the classical Greek culture, and home of Pythagoras, the father of numbers and of the theorem. Archaeologists have mapped its entire urban area, the first place they have succeeded in doing so. It’s fine museum and archaeological park are well worth a visit.
|  | | BernaldoBernaldo, close to Metaponto, is better known for its more recent sons and particularly as the birthplace of the filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. He used its traditional festival in his famous Godfather films and now with his actor nephew, Nicholas Cage, is helping develop an experimental visual and arts centre in Metaponto. For details on the National Museum click here...
|  | | PotenzaFurther to the north, in Basilicata’s Potenza region is the city of Potenza itself, much changed from its famous past due to earthquakes and now the discovery of Europe’s largest inland oil reserves.
Visitors can trace the footsteps of the writer Carlo Levi and his book ,“Christ Stopped at Eboli”, visiting the two villages where he spent his exile as punishment for his anti-fascist views in the 1930s. For details click here...
|  | | National ParksMonte Pollino National Park (100 km) is the biggest natural park in Italy, spreading over more than 200,000 hectars in areas of absolute wilderness and cultural landscapes in southern Italy. The Pollino range rise to over 2,000m and once sheltered the feared brigands in its many caves, of the region. Now nature is well protected here with the black woodpecker flourishing and the Apennine wolf still roaming free. Once the snows of winter recede, the meadows and valleys bloom with a myriad of wild flowers. |
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Italy 
