This tour takes in some of Basilicata’s main towns:
- Ferrandina
- Craco
- Tursi
- Valsinni
- Chiaromonte
- Roccanova
- Aliano
- Perticara Guard
- Cirigliano
- Castelmezzano
The route
We’ll start with Ferrandina, travelling along the E847 towards Craco, the ghost town(a town in that hilly area just before the Lucanian Apennines, nestled between the mountains and the sea) where the landscape offers a great variety of terrain but, above all, gorges.
Take the turn-off towards Tursi via the provincial road: a predominantly hilly area, situated between the region’s two major rivers, the’Agri and the Sinni.
From which it takes its name Valsinni (formerly awarded the “Orange Flag” by the Italian Touring Club) which we aim to reach by ‘riding’ the SS653 and which overlooks the valley of the same name.
Behind it rises Mount Coppolo – part of the Pollino National Park – which is home to a significant archaeological site at its summit.
Having left the area behind us, our next stop is Chiaromonte – also situated in the park – which stands on a rocky outcrop, from which numerous caves have been carved out to store stocks of artisanal red wine.
Some fifteen kilometres of green, wooded countryside separate Roccanova – the “city of wine” – from Aliano via the SP89. Aliano is a typical village set amongst the badlands, known for having been the long-term home of the writer Carlo Levi. In his honour, there are many initiatives linked to the literary park bearing his name, including nostalgic tours of the places where he was exiled, accompanied by food and wine tastings featuring local produce.
The new milestone is Guardia Perticara, led away from the road Saurinia, listed amongst Italy’s most beautiful villages, it too is worthy of the orange flag.
To return to the woods with their tall trees, springs and distinctly mountainous terrain, you need to take the SP103 towards Cirigliano: A historic village nestled between the Mother Church and the castle. Its centre is welcoming and well worth a visit: built entirely of stone – be it the castle, the palaces, the streets or the houses. This is because the stone is quarried locally, and has therefore always been an essential raw material for the local economy, including the craft sector. The local economy also revolves around cheeses – made from goat’s and sheep’s milk – cured meats and olive oil: the famous Majatica olive oil.
Last but not least is Castelmezzano: small but charming, it gives you the feeling of stepping into another world: steep stairways, narrow alleys, houses perched high up, and the Little Dolomites, almost as if standing guard over them.
Like so many other countries, this one is also renowned for its cuisine! The local speciality is the sausage, available in numerous variations. As well as the cured meats, the other meat dishes are also well worth trying, including lamb with herbs and kid with charcoal-grilled potatoes. And if you’d like to try something else, we recommend the cuccia: made from broad beans, wheat, chickpeas and grass peas.
Last but not least, the crispy ones honey crostole, a dessert traditionally served at wedding receptions.
This virtual tour has come to an end. We hope you’ll be able to experience it in real life and let your imagination run wild with the others we have on offer!
