Rivello It is a charming medieval village, situated in a very scenic spot overlooking a valley in the Basilicata region of southern Italy.
From an artistic point of view, Rivello is a a blend of Latin, Lombard and Byzantine cultures, This is the result of the city having been occupied simultaneously by both the Lombards and the Byzantines. Consequently, visitors can admire the “Greek” churches of St Nicholas, St Barbara and St Michael “of the Greeks”, which bear the mark of Byzantine influence, and, on the other hand, the Latin church of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Rivello has a historic centre characterised by stairways, squares and narrow streets. Although it is just a small mountain village, Rivello is abundant in works of art, which are largely preserved in churches and other religious monuments in Rivello, which are well worth a visit. We recommend a route starting from the town centre: walking along Via Vigliarola, you will come across the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, a small rural church featuring an 18th-century wooden coffered ceiling.
Religious architecture
Chapel of Saint Barbara.
On Corso Vittorio Emanuele, off Via Roma, stands the Chapel of Saint Barbara, with a semicircular apse, decorated with arches and frescoes dating from the late 16th century, a work by Antonio Aiello.
To the right of the apse, in a niche, there is a fresco (1566) depicting the Annunciation, Madonna and Child with St Eligius, by Giovanni Todisco (16th century), whilst the frescoes of St. Gregory the Great and St Anthony can be attributed to his followers.
Church of St Anne
The Church of Sant’Anna, on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, is a an 18th-century chapel with decorations attributed to Nicola Maria Rossi (1690–1758), who decorated the walls to great effect with painted architectural motifs depicting balconies, terraces, fountains and tapestries.
Also of interest is the the coffered ceiling and the stage, which served as a passageway between the church and the neighbouring building, the Alfano family’s home.
Next, from Piazza Umberto I, follow Via San Nicola to reach the church of San Michele, now home to the tMunicipal Theatre.
Mother Church
The Mother Church, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, it has a free-form Greek cross layout and is situated in the upper part of the town, in at the top of a steep flight of steps. The church has a a façade decorated in the typical Neapolitan Baroque style and ends with three portals dating from 1744.
The interior is abundant in altars dating from the 18th century with exquisite stucco decorations. The church also houses notable paintings, such as “Pentecost” by Francesco Oliva and 'The Adoration of the Shepherds” by Salvatore Ferrari.
Other frescoes were initially attributed to Giovanni De Gregorio (known as “Pietafesa”) and later to Giovanni Todisco. The portal, flanked by two stone lions, is in a typical Catalan style and features a 16th-century wooden door.
The’inside the church has suffered various transformations, including the addition of Baroque stucco decorations, and the apse houses a choir a 17th-century sculpture featuring allegorical figures.
This church also contains some oil paintings, such as the “Deposition”, attributed to FA Romano, 16th century, the’“The Coronation of the Virgin Mary” from the 17th century, and the’“Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of St Francis of Assisi” by Salvatore Ferrari, a painter originally from Rivello.
On the right there is a carved wooden pulpit In the sacristy there are paintings depicting “The Madonna of the Rosary with Child”, attributed to Domenico Antonio Vaccaro, and Filippo Vitale’s ‘Annunciation’.
Church of the Annunciation
The Church of the Annunciation in Rivello is also of great artistic merit.
Inside In the apse there is a beautiful fresco dating from 1517, a sculptural group made of stone depicting the Annunciation from the 16th century, and the “Christ in Glory” by Antonio Aiello, dated 1517 (though recently attributed to Antonello Palumbo, a 15th-century artist and brother of Giovanni, who was active in Maratea).
In the upper apse, supported by two angels, stands an imposing figure of Christ with long hair draped in heavy folds of fabric.
Monastery of St Anthony
Of particular historical interest in Rivello is the Monastery of St Anthony, built in 1515 around a square cloister with round arches resting on columns. At the centre stands a monumental stone well and portico, whilst the cloister features frescoes by Giovanni Todisco and Giovanni De Gregorio (known as “Pietrafesa”, 1580–1656).
Giovanni Todisco also created the “Story of the Life of Christ and His Passion”. There are also several works by his son Girolamo, such as the “Deposition”, “The Dead Christ”, the “Resurrection” and the “Transfiguration”, all dating from the early 17th century.
The church has a a beautiful portico dating from 1514, whilst the interior is in the Baroque style, featuring stucco work and paintings such as “The Immaculate Conception and Saint Francis of Paola” by Salvatore Ferrari (1720–1759) and ‘The Annunciation’ by Filippo Vitale (1589–1650), the Holy Family, the Madonna of the Rosary by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro (1678–1745) and the Nativity of the Virgin by Domenico Mondo (1723–1806).
At the’interior In the monastery, there is a a museum housing archaeological finds from Serra la Città relating to trade links between the Greeks and the indigenous peoples who inhabited the valley between the rivers Noce and Lao.
Crafts and traditions of Rivello
The historical and artistic aspect of our tour of Rivello would not be complete without a brief mention of local crafts. For example, Rivello has been famous for centuries for its goldsmiths’ workshops, dating back as far as the 11th century.
Furthermore, the’crafts that developed along the River Noce experienced periods of great economic growth driven by the ironworks that used the water along the river to supply semi-finished goods to the workshops. This has made Rivello famous for its handcrafted products such as the copper and gold working, and the ancient traditions of textile craftsmanship.
For lovers of local specialities, we would like to point out that Rivello is also renowned for its bread, which is produced using local flours, often milled in the Pollino National Park. The flours are mixed with water to make round loaves.
Nature
Finally, nature lovers will discover that Rivello is situated in a a landscape characterised by high mountains with snow-capped peaks, deep gorges and ancient forests, where sulphurous springs gush out cold water used locally as drink and to make the bathroom.
