Basilicata, Matera, Potenza

Small and lowly populated, Basilicata lays between Campagna, Puglia, and Calabria at the upper heal of the Italian boot claiming a tiny bit coastland on the west and the Gulf of Taranto at its bottom edge. Most of the region's land is parched and dry, making Basilicata one of Italy's worst agricultural regions.

The standard food staple is vegetables and pasta, with meat held for special occasions. Nearly every vegetable consumed in Italy is eaten in Basilicata, including local bitter onions, mushrooms, fava beans, artichokes, potatoes, and peppers. Peperonata is a local favorite consisting of sweet peppers, tomatoes and chili pepper, often mixed with chunks of pork. A custom in southern cooking is the liberal use of chili pepper.

Pork is this region's choice of meat, vividly reflected in the region's specialties: lucanica, a spiced sausage renowned throughout Italy, and pezzente ( "beggers") , a chili-spiked salami unique to Basilicata that contains the less costly parts of the pig.

With the exception of the region's flavorful lemons and oranges, there are not many sweets eaten here. Those that are often consist of almonds. No grapes are native to Basilicata, but the region does produce a small quantity of red wine and white wine from vines brought by the Greeks many centuries ago.

information:
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia
Tourist Board Basilicata
Foreman Ideal - Montreal, Quebec
Italian Embassy - Montreal
Encyclopedia Britanica
Geography and Reviews Ottawa Public Library
Archives - Concordia University - Montreal
Books and Reviews - Lachine Public library
Encyclopedia Grollier
Regione Basilicata official site

Matera

It seems as though everyone in this region moved into caves, which came to be known as i sassi (stones). You would think Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano (which begin at Piazza V. Veneto) were just typical Italian hilltowns until you realize the "houses" are all windowless grottoes with damp walls and earthen floors, where the family's animals slept side-by-side with the humans.

Far from being uncivilized, these rock towns had intricate hydraulic systems that kept water fresh and cool year round. Eventually the caves gained façades and roofs, but the interiors remained virtually unchanged. Nearly 15,000 people were still living in them in 1952, when the government finally declared them unhealthy and outlawed their use. There are several places where you can visit a typically furnished sasso: the most indicative is probably the one at Vico Solitario 12, in Sasso Caveoso.

Of course, there is more to this town than caves. Do not come to Matera without visiting the Domenico Ridola National Museum, which is located in a splendid former convent (again the product of the Italian State's "liberation" of church property in the south). Faithful readers of In Italy will remember our mentioning the serious fiscal problems encountered by Italian art patrons who wish to give their treasures to the public. Luckily for us, Senator Ridola made his donation in 1911, before today's tax laws had been concocted to thwart philanthropy. The vast collection includes Paleocene, neolithic and Bronze Age finds, as well as pottery and statuary from the 6th to 4th centuries BC.

commune di Matera - municipality of Matera

Potenza

Potenza is the capital of Basilicata, which is divided into Potenza and Matera provs. (named for their capitals). The region is crossed by the Lucanian Apennines; its main river is the Bradano. Because of a dry climate and a scarcity of groundwater, farming is difficult, although it is the occupation of most inhabitants of the generally poor region. Olives, plums, and cereals are grown, and sheep and goats are raised. There is also some fishing. The transportation network is very limited, and commerce and industry are minimal, except in the Pisticci zone where a chemical plant is located.

Welcome to Basilicata!