Fussy, formerly Vignola (Vignole (in dialect) or land of portals It is part of the province of Potenza, from which it is just a few kilometres away.
Like many villages in Basilicata, this one is also divided into several parts: upstream lies the historic centre, along with the rest of the village. Situated close to the lake of the same name – a WWF nature reserve – is the famous hamlet (one of thirteen) Marsh.
Region
The municipality is spread out over a range of altitudes: Pantano lies at around 700 metres; the village centre is at around 927 metres, whilst the highest point is Mount Serranetta at 1,476 metres. Unfortunately, it is in an area at high risk of earthquakes.
The area is predominantly wooded and criss-crossed by watercourses that feed into the Basento; in addition, there are several springs providing drinking water, though these are of little significance given the small amount of water they yield.
It is characterised by rare grasses typical of wetlands, as well as willows, alders and poplars, whilst the muddy shores of the lake are an important resting and nesting site for over 150 species of birds, including birds of prey, buzzards, coots, kites, kestrels, herons, cormorants and little grebes.
There is a footpath around the lake, which is accessible even in winter and in the evening; parts of it are made of wood. It takes about 1h30m to walk the entire length and passes through the surrounding area.
History
From its origins to the Angevins
Pignola, formerly known as Vineola, was later called Vignola. The meaning of these names is uncertain, though they can be traced back to the Latin word *vinea*, meaning ‘vineyard’. From 1863 onwards, the municipality was authorised to adopt its current name, Pignola di Basilicata, a term which may refer to one of the local pine forests.
The origins of Pignola are shrouded in mystery: the complete lack of precise historical evidence means that scholars are by no means in agreement as to when the town was founded. Lavista attributes the foundation of Pignola to Emperor Titus Vespasian, who is said to have sent his troops to establish several towns in Lucania, including Tito, Pignola and Castrum Gloriosum.Rendina, on the other hand, in his *Historiae* of the city of Potenza, states that the town was founded by a group of nobles from Potenza who fled the city after being overpowered by the plebeians.
By the year 1000, everything becomes clearer: the town was ruled by the Byzantines and then by the Normans. The fiefdom of “Vineola” is, in fact, mentioned in the register of Norman barons. Later, Frederick II of Swabia would rule over the whole of Basilicata. During the Swabian period, around 1240, Pignola was called upon by Emperor Frederick II to contribute towards the costs of restoring Lagopesole Castle.
In 1266, Basilicata came under the control of the Angevins and subsequently of various feudal lords (Rinaldo De Puy, Giovanni Pipino).
From Queen Joanna to the end of feudalism
On the death of King Ladislaus, he was succeeded by his sister Joanna, who is thought to have lived in Pignola near the little church of San Nicola. Joanna granted Pignola privileges and gifts, including the establishment of the fair. In 1420, Queen Joanna founded the Santa Ave Gratia Plena convent in Naples, better known as the “Casa dell’Annunziata”[11], to which she donated the land of Pignola. On her death, she was succeeded by Alfonso of Aragon who, after fighting for the succession to the throne against Renato of Anjou, decided to reward the families who had supported him (among them the Guevara family, to whom the king granted many lands, including the town of Potenza). It was during these very years that the Casa dell’Annunziata granted the land of Pignola to Count Innico de Guevara under a long-term lease. Thanks to this transfer, Pignola experienced a significant population increase due to the arrival of several families, including the La Vista, Romeo, Scavone, Albano and Padula families.
The devastating plague epidemic of 1656 struck the entire Potentino area, and Pignola saw its population decimated. Despite this, the town continued to grow in the years that followed, not only in terms of population but also culturally, spurred on by the presence of two convents within its boundaries.
Towards the end of the 1600s, numerous bands of brigands were constantly plaguing the area, invading cultivated land, raiding many isolated farmsteads and destroying everything in their path. Among the most feared brigands was Francesco Cauzillo of Pignola, known as ‘the Angry One’, who, along with other bandits, including Giuseppe Postiglione and Bernardo Guma, was accused of theft, robbery, murder, kidnapping and blackmail. It was precisely because of the existence of these gangs that many residents of Pignola were persecuted for having provided support to the Cauzillo gang (one of the best-known gangs of the time).
The 18th Century and the Gaudioso Report
From the Gaudioso Report, drawn up in the early 1700s by royal decree by the tax lawyer Don Rodrigo Maria Gaudioso, we learn that the land of Pignola faced north, and therefore “the land is very barren and extremely poor. (…) The common people were of a quarrelsome disposition; however, thanks to the establishment of two religious congregations, they have become more docile, all being registered as members of these congregations, where spiritual exercises are held continuously”.
We also learn that, at that time, the territory of Pignola was inhabited by some three thousand people engaged in the “liberal arts, the mechanical arts and the cultivation of the land, and a few others who trade in goods from the Vatican, from which part of what is lacking is supplied”.
The same document records the presence in Pignola of the “decorated” Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, five charitable confraternities, two monasteries of the mendicant friars of St Francis – one of the Capuchin Friars, not far from the town, and the other dedicated to St Michael the Archangel, a mile away from the town.
The 1700s were a century of rebellions and unrest. In 1747, for example, there was an administrative dispute between Pignola and Potenza over ownership of the lake and a wooded area situated between the two towns, known as the “Area Silvana”, both of which were very important to the local economy. At the time, the lake was teeming with fish and good-quality straw could be harvested there.
The 19th century
Pignola did not become directly involved in the events of 1799 surrounding the establishment of the Neapolitan Republic. In the parish register of the deceased, we read of the people of Pignola who were killed during that period and of the execution by firing squad of Nicola Trotta, one of the leaders of the uprising, who, a native of Potenza living in Pignola, attempted to incite the town against the Bourbons but failed to gain any support there. Between 1806 and 1809, several violent clashes took place in the village between families loyal to the Bourbons and supporters of the French government.
In 1808, Joachim Murat was appointed King of Naples. He commissioned a statistical survey, the *Statistica Murattina*, from which we can glean interesting information about Pignola and the living conditions of the people of Lucania. “The common people usually live in cramped, dark cellars which receive sunlight only through the open door. In these sort of hovels, they live alongside chickens, pigs and donkeys; and, as they are not kept clean, contagious fevers break out.” It also states that women went barefoot in every season and that economic activities linked in particular to the processing of cloth and textiles flourished. Woodworking and wrought-iron craftsmanship were also highly developed. Between 1806 and 1809, Pignola played an active part in brigandage: organised anti-French bands were formed which continued their activities even after the unification of the Kingdom of Italy, when several inhabitants of Pignola went on to swell the ranks of the brigands.
In 1848, new uprisings broke out – the so-called “communist uprisings” – during which the peasants rose up to seize land, threatening the safety of the landowners.
Between 1850 and 1851, Pignola also suffered heavy losses as a result of the smallpox epidemic.
In 1857, at five o’clock in the morning, between 16 and 17 December, a violent and unexpected earthquake struck Basilicata, causing many casualties and extensive damage. There were seven fatalities in Pignola, and the damage was also extensive. Among the buildings that collapsed were: the Chapel of the Santissima Annunziata, the Chapel of Santa Maria del Pantano, part of the bell tower of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and around eighty private homes. The entire population attributed their survival to their deep devotion to their patron saint, the Madonna degli Angeli.
Pignola also took part in the uprisings of 1860. Among the rebels were the Berardi brothers, Filadelfio and Giuseppe Eugenio, Domenico Coiro and Emilio Fittipaldi.
In 1860, acts of brigandage took place, linked to entirely political motives – namely, to restore the Bourbons to the throne of Naples. As a result of these acts, the mayor of Pignola issued a number of regulations prohibiting citizens from travelling to work in the countryside without a valid permit and from carrying more than a certain amount of bread, in order to prevent them from supplying food to their relatives who had gone into hiding.
The Twentieth Century
With the era of brigandage now over and the countryside freed from the threat of public unrest, Pignola became part of the Kingdom of Italy. Two-thirds of Pignola’s inhabitants were peasants. There were many emigrants. In 1901, there were 83 emigrants out of a population of 2,567; in 1906, there were 106 out of a population of 2,556.
As regards education in the early 1900s, around half of those of school age were sent to work rather than attending school.
Politically speaking, two different parties were pitted against one another: the Socialist Party and the Liberal Party. The Socialist Party won the 1914 local elections, but this was followed by a period of confusion and turmoil which led to the appointment of a prefectural commissioner.
Between 1917 and 1918, the section of the Calabro-Lucana Railway between Pignola and Potenza was completed (opened on 23 January 1919), which was used not only for general transport but also to ship large quantities of coal produced in Pignola. On 4 November 1931, the railway extension to Laurenzana was opened.
During those same years, the community of Pignolo paid a heavy price, with more than forty of its members losing their lives in the Great War.
Pignola also paid a heavy price in human lives during the Second World War. In September 1943, a number of Allied aircraft dropped a large number of bombs on the provincial capital, and three bombs were aimed at Pignola. They fell in the Convento district, which was virtually uninhabited at the time, and caused no casualties.
The post-war period was a difficult time for Pignola too: a great many residents were forced to emigrate in search of work.
On 23 November 1980, a violent earthquake struck the village. Twenty houses collapsed; thirteen were declared unsafe; and fifty were deemed uninhabitable but repairable. There were 271 people left homeless out of a population of 3,983. Although there were no fatalities, many residents of Pignolo emigrated to other parts of Italy or abroad.
