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
    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 ...
  • 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...

 

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.

  • Madonna della Bruna, Matera

    Published in Basilicata itineraries
    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…
    Last modified on 06 June 2013

Trees and Paganism in Accettura

Published in Basilicata itineraries
Perhaps the oldest festival in Italy takes place in Accettura. It is so old it predates the classical era by at least a 1000 years. Its origins go back to the dawn of human consciousness and derive from the belief that trees are living beings and are, therefore, able to come together in the act of love. This coupling guarantees a fruitful harvest at the end of the growing season. And so it is with this annual festival taking place in the last week of May. The male is called the 'maggio', a tall oak selected and chopped down from…
Last modified on 26 May 2013

The Sassi of Matera

Published in Basilicata itineraries
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…
Last modified on 19 April 2013

Religious Tourism in Basilicata

Published in Basilicata itineraries
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…
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.
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.
Last modified on 21 December 2012

Bernalda and the Coppolas

Published in Basilicata itineraries
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…
Last modified on 21 December 2012