BASILICATA, Italy

REGIONAL CAPITAL: Potenza
PROVINCIAL CAPITALS : Matera
OTHER INTERESTING PLACES :Metaponto,Venosa

TERRITORY :known to the Romans as Lucania, the small region of Basilicata is a mountainous territori with large tracts of beech woods, scented pine forests and upland meadows.

PLACES TO SEE :
Potenza: the Museo Archeologico Provinciale;
Venosa : the birthplace of the roman poet Horatius (better known as Horace); visit the original roman settlement and the Abbazia della Santissima Trinità;
Matera : the 13th Century Cathedral in Piazza del Duomo,the Carlo Levi Centre on Piazzetta Pascolo; the famous Sassi of Matera are buildings of tufa stone, half constructed half bored into the rock lining the twin ravines that slice through the city.They were home to more than 50% of the populace from medieval times until the local government built new residential areas in the late 1950s.
Metaponto:the Parco Archeologico and Museo Archeologico Nazionale;the remains of a greek theatre and the Doric Tempio of Apollo Licio;the Tavole Palatine,remains of a temle of Hera,so called since knights or paladins are said to have gathered there before heading to the crusades.

REGIONAL CUISINES:typical are capunti e flageoli,white beans and pasta the shape of cowrie shells simmered in a pork stock. There also are excellent bread,fruit,vegetables and ricotta cheese.

TRADITIONAL FESTIVITIES:
On July the 2nd Matera celebrates the feast day of S.Maria della Bruna(the Black Virgin),the city’s patron saint:there is a procession when a statue of the Madonna is carried along in the carro trionfale.Ended the procession the assalto al carro begins :the crowd tears the cart to pieces in order to take away what the faithful regard as precious relics.
Near Potenza, in Melfi on Whitsun day it is celebrated the Holy Ghost feast:a nocturnal procession of unmarried women and girls goes up to a cage on a mountain.

Basilicata, Italy - map