Basilicata itineraries

Basilicata itineraries (15)

Our recommendations if you are planning a vacation or visit to Matera and the rest of Basilicata.

  • Trulli of Alberobello and Matera Tour

    Trulli of Alberobello and Matera Tour

    This first half of this full two day guided tour by Experience Puglia is the same as the day tour to Matera with wine tasting. Based in Gioia del Colle throughout, the second full day begins with a trip to resort town of Polignano along the coast followed by lunch in a local restaurant overlooking ...
    More ...
  • Day Tour to Matera with Wine Tasting

    Day Tour to Matera with Wine Tasting

    This day trip to the Sassi of Matera in Basilicata really is a full day, as it combines two nights in a family run hotel in the center of Gioia del Colle where Experience Puglia is based. Once you have met your guide and settled into your accommodation your adventure starts the same evening with di...
    More ...

 

A selection of off the beaten track itineraries from the region of Basilicata. Highlighted below are our current favourites and follow the Basilicata Itineraries link to view all the articles.

  • The Sassi of Matera

    Published in Basilicata itineraries
    Sassi of Matera view
    Business boomed in Matera in Basilicata for a couple of years after Mel Gibson filmed 'The Passion of Christ' there. Nevertheless, the Sassi may have crumbled into nothing years before if such associations initiatives as MOSA had not appreciated first the patrimony of this ancient town. MOSA stands for the 'Azienda Speciale della Camera di Commercio per i Sassi di Matera' and is a special branch of the Chamber of Commerce of Matera. It was created in 1985 to promote the revival of Sassi, the oldest part of the city carved in the natural gorges in the stupendous ravine. It…
    Read more...
    Last modified on 19 April 2013

Religious Tourism in Basilicata

Published in Basilicata itineraries
Benedictine Abbey of Montescaglioso
Waves and waves of invaders have passed through Basilicata or Lucania and each has left a permanent mark. It is worth the effort to track them down and the Basilicata region tourism authority has produced a glossy leaflet which offers an interesting view of the development of faith and religion in the region. It doesn't just list the places to see, but sets them in a sort of spiritual chronology through the lives of the inhabitants. The mix is intriguing. Try 'Murgia Materana' for Neolithic tombs, the 'Piana Metaponto' plain for the Greek Civiltà, the 'Chiesa della Trinità' at Venosa…
Read more...
Last modified on 21 December 2012

Madonna della Bruna, Matera

Published in Basilicata itineraries
Madonna della Bruna in Matera
The Madonna Della Bruna refers to the Byzantine relic which is paraded every 2nd of July is the festival for this patron saint of Matera. The event begins at the crack of dawn when the local shepherds parade through the old quarters of the town. Originally, they would collect their fellow workers as they went and the procession acted as a kind of social wake up call. The evening sees the more significant pulling of the cart of the Madonna towards the cathedral. This procession whips up the crowd into genuine excitement and at its climax the cart becomes assaulted…
Read more...
Last modified on 21 December 2012

More to Melfi

Published in Basilicata itineraries
Besides chestnuts, Melfi is famous for its Norman castle and the town was indeed their political and administrative capital for a time. The castle was originally built in 1042 by Guglielmo d'Altavilla who became Count of Puglia.
Read more...
Last modified on 21 December 2012

Lucania

Published in Basilicata itineraries
The name Basilicata was first used in 1175 and probably referred to a one time Byzantine administrator of the province called 'Basilikos'. Even after a thousand years, however, Lucania is widely used and for many the name of choice.
Read more...
Last modified on 21 December 2012

Bernalda and the Coppolas

Published in Basilicata itineraries
View to Bernalda from Montescaglioso
Now if you could choose a world famous name to promote your territory in Italy you could do a lot worse than Francis Ford Coppola. The province of Matera in Basilicata had such luck and has incorporated the Hollywood film director into their marketing strategy, or more suitably, their video campaign. But this is not a casual affair, as is the case with Le Marche and Dustin Hoffman, Francis Ford Coppola has blood ties here: We thank Urban Italy for the following. Agostino Coppola, like so many of his countrymen before and after him, emigrated to the USA way back…
Read more...
Last modified on 21 December 2012

Murgia Materana Park, Matera

Published in Basilicata itineraries
Original Sin Crypt near Matera
The Sassi of Matera in Basilicata speak for themselves. But what about the surrounding countryside now denominated the Murgia Materana Park. Afterall, they both form the designated UNESCO site since 1993. The park is rich with archaeological and historical points of interest, each testimony to people's struggle to make a living. They include the Gravina of Matera, the spectacular canyon which crosses the entire zone some 230-290 feet deep and running almonst as far as Montescaglioso. Do cross it to view Matera from the opposite side. Then there are the rural relics such as the Jazzo Gattini, now a visitor…
Read more...
Last modified on 21 December 2012