|
|
Major Cities:
Potenza
|
|
The Basilicata region, known as the "instep" of the Italy’s boot is bordered on two sides by the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas and is known as Italy’s poorest and up until recently forgotten region. However, like the Calabria Region bordering it, Basilicata boasts unpolluted beaches (such as in Maratea) and remote natural preserves that have benefited from the remoteness of the area. Basilicata Italy is also a region of hybridization. Scattered with Ancient Greek ruins as well as the birthplace of the Roman poet Horace, the region, not yet thrown into processes of globalization, is amass with untouched history. Metaponto, a city founded by the Greeks, is home to the well designed Museo Archeologico Nationale which features 4th and 5th century statues, ceramics, and other artifacts preserved from the unique Basilicata history. The caves of the town of the inland town of Matera, one of the most well-known fragments of Basilicata history, attract scholars, writers, and artists worldwide. These caves, inhabited until recently, are houses dug out of tufa (volcanic) rock ravines which were the dwellings used by inhabitants of the region since Paleolithic prehistoric times. The famous Italian author Carlo Levi highlights Matera and its unbelievable poverty in his touching book Christ Stopped at Eboli. Since UNESCO claimed the city a World Heritage Site, relief efforts have brought aid to the city, and now there are even bars and restaurants there. The Basilicata region is known for its spicy food (infused with peperoncini – small chili peppers) and great seafood, as well as native wild mushrooms and ricotta cheese.
www.regione.basilicata.it
|
|
|
