Basilicata

Lucania - Basilicata

Geography and Climate

Basilicata is located in the south of Italy and consists mostly of mountains and hills. It is a sparsely populated region with lots of forests and small villages. The region borders Campania, Apulia and Calabria and has a short coastline. It is the second least populated region of Italy. The capital of Basilicata is Potenza and there are two provinces, Potenza (PZ) and Matera (MT).

the Sassi in Matera

The most famous city of Basilicata or Lucania is certainly Matera with its characteristic historic center with stone houses called the Sassi. In 2019, Matera was the European Capital of Culture.
There are no airports in this region. The nearest airports are in Apulia, in Bari and Brindisi.

Basilicata has a Mediterranean climate with warm summers and damp, cold winters. The eastern part of the region is influenced by the Adriatic Sea and has a continental climate with Mediterranean characteristics. The rest of this region has a harsh and humid climate, especially in winter.

There is a risk of earthquakes throughout the region.

Food and drinks

peperoni cruschi

A typical product from this region is a type of tasty, long peppers of about ten cm long with a diameter of five cm. Usually they are hung in bunches to dry in the sun. Then they are fried in olive oil to make them crispy ("cruschi"). These peperoni cruschi are used in many local dishes. Baccalà con peperoni cruschi (stockfish), Agnello alla lucana (lamb) and Pane di Matera (bread) are just a few typical regional dishes. The most famous regional wine is Aglianico del Vulture.

Economy and Health care

Basilicata has never been a rich region. In Melfi there is a large Fiat factory where, among other things, the Fiat 500X and the Jeep Renegade are made, and a lot of furniture is produced in the region.

Fiat

Basilicata also received a lot of support from the European Union. Irrigation systems were established and now the region cultivates high-quality products such as corn, barley and oats. That is why this region is called the granary of Italy. Finally a lot of fruit is grown such as plums, peaches, pears, kiwis and citrus fruits.

The region of Basilicata has the lowest crime index in Italy, with 2,343 reports of crime per 100,000 inhabitants, well below the national average of 3,816. Regarding the number of thefts and thefts in homes, the number of reports in Basilicata in 2020 was only 688 per 100,000 inhabitants, while the average for the whole of Italy is 2,051.

In terms of health care, Basilicata is divided by province. There is ASM, Azienda Sannitaria locale di Matera and APS, Azienda Sanitaria locale di Potenza. There are 7 hospitals in the region, 2 in Matera and 5 in Potenza. This is the link to the website of Basilicata in Salute, the regional health service of Basilicata.

Second homes

In Basilicata there are very few foreign owners of holiday homes, except in the Sassi of Matera. There is high demand from tourists from all over the world for mainly short stays in the typical stone houses of the Sassi.

The most beautiful towns

The most beautiful villages in Italy can be found on the website “I Borghi più belli d’Italia” where more than 270 of Italy's 

Castelmezzano

most beautiful villages are listed. In Basilicata there are nine of these Borghi. In the province of Matera there is the village of Irsina and Miglionico and in the province of Potenza the towns of Acerenza, Castelmezzano, Venosa, Guardia Perticara, Maratea,  Pietrapertosa, and Viggianello are mentioned in the guide.

The recognition Bandiera Arancione (Orange Flag) is given to towns with a maximum of 15,000 inhabitants, which are distinguished by their beauty and hospitality. The guide “Bandiere Arancioni” mentions the following villages: Aliano and Valsinni in the province of Matera and Castelsaraceno, San Severino Lucano, Sasso di Castalda in the province of Potenza.