Tito (Lu Titu in the local dialect) is an Italian municipality with a population of 7,263 in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata.
Physical Geography
It belongs to the Melandro mountain community and is situated on the watershed between the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas. In fact, two streams originate within its territory, both of which are tributaries of two distinct watercourses that flow into the aforementioned seas: the Tora stream, a tributary of the River Basento, and the Fiumara di Tito, a tributary of the River Sele.
This town, home to one of the main industrial areas in the province of Potenza and situated just below the southern slope of the Monti Li Foj, was due to host the Lucanian freight village. On 18 June 2009, the ASI commissioner for the province of Potenza, Alfonso Ernesto Navazio, by resolution number 115, revoked the land concession granted to the company that was due to build it.
There are several historical events worth noting, as well as archaeological excavations near the old settlement of the village of Satriano. The Torre di Satriano lies within the municipal boundaries; this medieval settlement comprises the remains of a Norman tower, a cathedral and associated structures. This area is a very important archaeological site where, following various research projects, numerous artefacts dating as far back as the 7th century BC have been discovered.
Region
The municipality is essentially divided into two parts: the main town, Tito, where most of the inhabitants live and which is home to the Town Hall and other services, and the industrial and commercial area of Tito Scalo, which houses the Ferrovie dello Stato railway station and one of the region’s most important industrial estates, to which many businesses from the Potenza area are relocating.
The territory of the municipality of Tito was classified as a seismic zone with a seismic intensity of S=9 following the catastrophic earthquake in Irpinia on 23 November 1980[3]. Subsequently, by Resolution No. 724 of the Basilicata Regional Council dated 11 November 2003, Tito was classified as being in seismic zone 1.
History
The village originally stood at a much higher elevation, north-east of Mount Carmine, near the present-day industrial estate on the hills south of the Santa Loja Plain, but was abandoned following the complete destruction of the village during the war (as recorded by Titus Livius). Following its destruction, the inhabitants of Titi split into two groups: one group moved to the area known as “Piano della Chiesa”, north-east of the Tower of Satriano; the other settled near the banks of the River Noce, in the locality known as “In piedi alla terra” or Fiumara, where the present-day town stands. The population grew, partly as a result of the destruction of the nearby Satrianum, of which significant archaeological remains can still be seen.
In ancient times, the area around the Tower of Satriano was under the control of a community of farmers and warriors, who were among the most prominent members of a wealthy elite linked to the nearest Magna Graecian societies. The importance of this site was confirmed in subsequent centuries as well, given that a sanctuary dedicated to the goddess “Mefitis” once stood there. All this is linked to the origins of the village and its name. One of the earliest names used was “Teiodes”, meaning “sulphurous”; which may be attributed to the presence of numerous sulphurous springs, later evolving into “Tito” through a gradual transformation. However, the name could also derive from the Latin “tutus” or ‘titulus’, which can have various meanings: soldier, or border, referring to the border area between the Byzantine governorate and the Principality of Salerno.
With the abandonment of the Satriano hilltop, “Grumentum” began to flourish, becoming one of the wealthiest and most important centres of Roman Lucania. A legend centring on the city’s patron saint, Saint Laviero, is linked precisely to the place mentioned above: Laviero arrived in Grumento to preach the word of God on 14 July 312 AD, having escaped the persecutions of Agrippa. The Governor of Lucania had him arrested in the name of the gods, but, failing to convert him, ordered him to be thrown to the wild beasts. However, instead of devouring him, the beasts crouched at his feet, turning menacingly towards Agrippa. After being taken back to prison, an angel appeared to Laviero, opened the cell doors and urged him to leave the city. In Grumentum, he was captured and beheaded before the whole town on 17 November 312 AD.
Several significant tragic historical events have befallen the town of Tito, such as the earthquake of 1561, which destroyed the town centre and claimed around a hundred lives, the plague of 1656, which ravaged the entire Kingdom of Naples, and the earthquake of 1694, during which the churches – including the Mother Church, the bell tower and three other chapels in the town – were razed to the ground. This period was also a dark time for the town due to the tyranny of the nobles and feudal lords; a powerful symbol of this era is the Castle (of which only a street remains today). Tito was also marked by the Neapolitan Revolution of 1799, for which the figure of Francesca De Carolis Cafarelli is remembered.
Following the unification of Italy, Tito too was affected by the phenomenon of brigandage, owing to the favourable terrain and the relationships that developed between the local population and the brigands. In 1857, another violent earthquake struck the region, with devastating consequences; it proved to be one of the most devastating in the whole of Europe, claiming as many as 9,257 lives in Basilicata alone. This led to widespread poverty and, above all, marked the beginning of the first waves of emigration, particularly to the Americas. Around 1860, with the expedition of the Thousand, who had travelled up from Sicily, Basilicata was preparing its uprising under the leadership of Giacinto Albini, Nicola Mignogna and Camillo Boldoni, who were the first to proclaim the Unification of Italy in Corleto Perticara. On 18 August 1860, the uprising reached Potenza and also Tito, where a group of volunteers led by Ulisse Caldani laid an ambush for the Bourbon troops before retreating towards Auletta.
All this was also described in the historical novel *L’Alfiere*, written by Carlo Alianello. Many of the novel’s events are set in Tito itself, where the writer stayed on several occasions and where the archive dedicated to him is now housed. Emigration continued, and in 1880 the Eboli–Metaponto railway line was opened; Tito itself is home to a station on this important route linking the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ionian Sea, although it lies 4 km from the town centre. The year 1930 began with another disastrous event, accompanied by the struggle against unemployment, which was rising steadily, and the fight against illiteracy. By 1936, the population had fallen significantly, and with Italy’s entry into the Second World War, the situation deteriorated further, leading to a severe economic crisis, particularly in the agricultural sector. In 1951, illiteracy was still prevalent, and emigration to northern European countries began. In 1963, another violent earthquake struck the town.
Towards the end of the 1960s, the first industrial investments began to take shape in the Tito Scalo area, creating new jobs for local people. The number of people employed in the industrial sector rose significantly, leading to a decline in employment in the agricultural sector between 1980 and 1990.
In 1980, another violent earthquake led to the almost complete destruction of the Mother Church, though fortunately there were no casualties in Tito. The period that followed was marked by a slow process of reconstruction, which subsequently led to economic and social development, thanks to the growth of the industrial area and significant investment in the commercial sector. Thanks to its per capita income, it ranks among the leading towns in Basilicata and is one of the few towns in the region to continue attracting new residents.
