Attractions in Italy

The southern Italian region of Basilicata borders on Campania to the west, Puglia (Apulia) to the east, and Calabria to the south, and has a short coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea and another on the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea to the southeast. While it’s not the first place you might think of for a holiday in Italy, the region has a special charm that is slowly being discovered by visitors who are keen to get away from the more touristy parts of Italy.

Basilicata offers stunning arid mountain scenery and inland villages, perched on the hills, where time seems to have stood still. On the coast there are charming villages and seaside resorts such as Lido di Metaponto, with its archaeological relics, Marina di Pisticci, Lido di Scanzano, and Lido di Policoro. Remains of the Roman Era can be seen in Venosa along with medieval art. Basilicata is divided into two provinces: Potenza and Matera.

Matera and the sassi

In Matera, the Ridola National Museum holds Paleolithic relics and ceramics that date back to the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron ages. Just outside the city are distinctive ancient settlements, known as sassi, that have been declared a World Heritage Site. These well–preserved settlements have been cut from rock and include over 100 rock churches from Greek-Byzantine Monastic civilizations. Important sassi include Montescaglioso, with its commanding medieval Abbey of S. Angelo; Miglionico, known for its fine Norman castle;

Irsina, famous for the 12th century Monastery of S. Francesco, its crypt decorated with fine frescoes; Tricarico, with its medieval religious buildings; Pisticci, known for its rows of white houses; and Tursi, set above the Sinni River valley, and the nearby lone church of S. Maria d'Anglona. While there are good hotels in Matera, staying in the rock dwellings is a very different experience, and hotels like Hotel Sant'Angelo, made up of 16 historical dwellings that have been reformed into living areas, include all mod cons. Another accommodation alternative in the old town is one of the many B&Bs where you’ll have a chance to interact with locals and enjoy delicious home cooking.

Potenza, the capital of Basilicata, is of pre-Roman origins, and its Saint Gerard Cathedral was rebuilt at the end of the 1700s. The city’s Provincial Archeological Museum houses an important prehistoric collection, an interesting ethnographic section, and numerous Greek and Roman treasures including the Tempietto and the Statuina di Persefone.

One of Potenza province’s most historic towns, Rivello, set on a strategic ridge that overlooks the Noce Valley and Mount Sirino, has a fascinating mixture of Longobard and Byzantine architecture. Also worth visiting are the Convent of Sant’Antonio da Padova and Santa Barbara’s Church. The Byzantine Church of San Michele dei Greci features a Neapolitan school polyptych dating from 1614.

The Vulture area

In the north of the province of Potenza, fertile soils allow the cultivation of excellent grapes and olives. Here the two beautiful lakes of Monticchio lie within an old volcano, not far from the two castles of Frederick II of Swabia at Castel Lagopesole and Melfi. The Norman S. Lucia Church at Rapolla, Venosa, known for its famous Abbey of the Trinità, and Acerenza, with its thirteenth-century cathedral, are additional district architectural attractions.

Wine clubs love the historic wine regions of Italy, including Campania, Basilicata, and Puglia. The wines from these regions offer a modern day wine from some very ancient vines that still produce grapes today. This article looks at these three historic wine regions along with the culture of the times when these ancient vines were originally planted.

Campania

The capital of Campania, Naples was founded by the Greeks, enlarged by the Romans, and subsequently invaded by the Normans, Hohenstaufen, French, and Spanish among others. Established by the Greeks in the 11th century BC, Naples was the earliest of a cluster of far-flung settlements throughout southern Italy.

Many important figures of the age, including Pythagoras, Archimedes, and Aeschylus lived in these settlements, and today some of the best ruins of the ancient Greek world can be found there. Along with mathematics, architecture, and drama, the ancient art of winemaking also flourished in the hills and valleys of the region as the cult of Dionysus spread. Aglianico and Greco, grapevines that the Greeks introduced, are highly priced today and prized by wine enthusiasts and wine of the month club members. The Greek historian Herodotus called this part of Italy Oenotria, the land of wine.

Basilicata

Along with Sicily, Calabria, and Puglia, Basilicata was part of Magna Graecia in the sixth century BC, when the Greeks planted one of Italy's finest grapes, the noble Aglianico. Later the Romans dominated the region, calling it "Luciana," but Basilicata derives its name from its Byzantine rulers.

Greek ruins, medieval abbeys, Norman castles, and a collection of hill towns grace this wild and remote region, the most mountainous in Italy with only eight percent of its surface area flat. Despite southern Italy's reputation for semi tropical weather, Basilicata's capital, Potenza, is often the coldest city in Italy, chilled by cold winds from the Balkans and the Apennine mountains. The best vineyards have developed on the high ground of Monte Vulture, both on the steep eastern side of the volcano and on the high plains around Venosa. The wines from the Basilcata region are a favorite of most wine clubs.

Puglia

Puglia, the heel and spur of the Italian boot, is rich in art and architecture that reflect the many cultures that have dominated the region over the centuries. The Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Normans, Swabians, and Spainards among others have all left their imprints there. The octagonal fortress in Castel del Monte was built by Emperor Frederick II in 1240. The towns of Otranto and Gallipoli evoke the Greeks. And much of Lecce is Baroque in style, having flourished in the 17th century.

Alberobello is the capital of the "trulli," whitewashed, circular buildings with conical roof tiles, whose origins no one is certain of. In the north, the terrain is hilly and the climate temperate. Red wines dominate but the region produces many white wines enjoyed by wine of the month club members. In the south, the traditional wines of Salento are the powerful reds Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera, and Primitivo, related to California's Zinfandel, a common favorite of many wine clubs. Salice Salentino is the most prominent zone and is noted for its rich reds and its rose. These three historic wine regions of Italy still produce wines today using these ancient grapevines, providing a taste of the past along with enjoyment for today.