Regions of Italy : Basilicata (Hotels)

If we had to be very very honest, there is only one reason we could find for telling certain travelers not to bother with these two regions: with a few renowned exceptions such as Matera and Maratea, they are not accustomed to hosting foreigners. You won't find suave and sophisticated polyglot hoteliers and restaurateurs here. The beds may be a bit lumpy. There may be only one place to eat in town and it may have a limited menu featuring dishes you've never heard of. Then there are the usual suspects: no screens on the windows, not enough water pressure, sporadic "inefficiency"....

To sum up, these are regions for true travelers. If you fall into that category, you can be very richly rewarded by allotting several days to Basilicata and Molise. You'll find the archeological digs, medieval towns, Romanesque churches, Renaissance frescoes and gourmet cuisine are as impressive here as anyplace in Italy. You'll also find unparalleled natural wilderness, and a few attractions you can find nowhere else on earth. We'll tell you all about them in this issue.

Territory: The region is mountainous, arid, scarcely watered. It has two coastlines, one in the center of the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea, and a tiny one on the Tyrrhenian Sea, with the famous sea resort of Maratea. The bare mountain landscapes slope down to the Ionian Sea.

Cities: Potenza is the regional capital; Matera is the capital of the other province.

Art: The region is rich in archaeologic relics, dating back to the most remote times. Remains of the Greek era can be found in Metaponto (the Palatine Tables), while ruins of the Roman Age can be seen in Venosa. Tourists can admire noteworthy examples of medieval art in Venosa and Cerenza (Romanesque style). The architecture presents Arab-Byzantine and French influences in Matera, Melfi and Lagopesole. In this region, the Baroque style shows an evident Neapolitan influence.

Museums: The Provincial Archaeologic Museum of Potenza houses an important prehistoric collection, an interesting ethnographic section and numerous Greek and Latin inscriptions. In Matera, the Ridola National Museum holds Paleolithic relics, and ceramics which date back to the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. The Pinacoteca d’Errico displays noteworthy paintings of the Neapolitan school of the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The Archaeologic National Museum of Melfi houses prehistoric, protohistoric and Roman relics.

To be visited: In Matera, visitors can see the “Sassi”, the typical houses and churches dug into the “tufa” crag. Matera is in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, between Calabria and Puglia. The city's population is 60,000, with about 3,000 people living in the sassi.
Explore the sassi on your own with maps provided by the tourist office, or on a guided walk.
The tourist office sells tickets for a self-guided tour of a half-dozen or so rock churches in the sassi. More are scattered around in parks in the nearby countryside and can be visited by car.
Explore the modern upper town for its shops, art galleries and excellent food shops, such as Samuele Olivieri's Il Buongustaio, which stocks local specialties such as dried red peppers and ear-shaped orecchiette pasta. The local art museum houses some of Carlo Levi's paintings.
Stroll with the locals during the evening passeggiata starting at Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Have a coffee at the Caffè Tripoli, and see photos and news clippings from Mel Gibson's filming of "The Passion of the Christ."

In the Gulf of Policastro, tourists can enjoy the fascinating Maratea, an important resort of the Tyrrhenian Sea; on the Ionian Sea, the Antiquarium of Metaponto.

Basilicata is a tiny southern region, occupied for the most part by mountains that in places reached by two seas: the Tyrrhenian sea for a short section of coast line, and the Ionian sea. It is one of the poorest region in Italy but it boast a piece of prehistory in the modern world: "The Sassi". They are located at Matera, the second main city of Basilicata, and UNESCO, the UN organisation that deals with education, science and culture, has proclaimed it to be the "heritage of humanity". The "caves of Matera" are one of the most peculiar, ancient and extraordinary human settlements in the world, which have drawn the attention of scholars and artists from all over the world (the Italian writer Carlo Levi spoke of them in his famous book "Christ stopped at Eboli"). In the "caves", the houses have been dug out of the tufa rock and the walls constructed with the excavated material. Inhabited until recently, the "caves" are now empty and have become the object of projects of cultural and touristic revaluation and restoration. A visit to the "caves of Matera" is a truly unique experience. But it is not the only reason to come to this small, secluded, and beautiful region boarded by two seas: the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian. In Basilicata there are Greek ruins (Metaponto), medieval churches and castles (Melfi, Lagopesole), beautiful beaches (Maratea), and unspoilt countryside (Basilicata shares the splendid park of Pollino with Calabria). And Matera does not only have its "caves": the remarkable blend of Romanesque and Baroque styles in the Church of S. Francesco, for example, is also fascinating. Finally, why not plan a visit to Venosa, birthplace of the great and wise Latin poet Horace? Here, among other attractions, it is possible to admire the medieval Abbey of SS. Trinità and other interesting monuments. In the regional capital, Potenza, ancient and recent earthquakes have seriously damaged the historic centre. But the archaeological museum merits a visit.