Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Basilicata region of southern Italy, also known as Lucania

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cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:19 PM

more posts Author: Mauro Date: 08/06/2001, 06:17 pm Message: I'm another with roots in Basilicata. I have been there twice once on a tour. During this tour I visited both of home towns of my mother, (Accettura) and my paternal grandfather, (San Mauro Forte). We even stopped in Cirigliano. Spent about a half of a day in each place. Not enough time...But enough to know I wanted to go back. The following year I went back with my sons and nephew. We drove from Napoli to Accettua. We stayed at their one and only hotel. There were two major highlights of or trip. In Accettura We met with the parish priest, who I had met the previous year. Since I was into genealogy I had written him to research my ancestors. I told him our day of arrival and the information I was looking for. He had the same surname as my mother but he did not know if we were related but assumed we were. Well when I arrived he had gotton so engrossed in the research documents that he so engrossed in his documents, went back to 1692. He researched back to my great great great grandfather. Well, my ggggrandfather was also his. We were 4th cousins. I have most of this on video. The next day we went to San Mauro Forte. Here We had relative of a relative act as our tour guide. He brought us to our familys "Cantina". has a little boy watching my father and his paesani make wine in the basement of our home. They would mention the "Cantina" back home. Well I could never imagine what it looked like. Now I was being brought to see it. What I found was a very large cave in the side of the mountain. There was a cobblestone road in front of it as well as a stone barrier between the catina and the side of the road. This was to keep the car from going over the side of the mountain into the valley below. The road had many other caves/catinas along the way, each one with it's own door and padlock. The cantina was about the size of tunnel for one subway car in NYC. Inside was the place they made their wine, cheese, dried their peppers, and placed their, before refrigerators. There was an overhead beam with the year 1804 carved into it. As well as my father's initial. WOW...this place was in our family for over 200 years. The aroma of the place brought me back to our basement in Corona, Queens....Now understood who they were...and who I am. If are like me and have wondered about your roots. Go and visit...and have the time of your life. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:20 PM

Author: cmt Date: 08/10/2001, 06:52 pm Message: I just want to let you know that while most of us posting about trips to Lucania have some roots in this region, it is a truly scenic area, rich in history and traditions, that would be likely to appeal to anyone with real interest in unspoiled areas of Europe or the Mediterranean, especially Italy. More than half of the people on my tour had no Lucanian ancestry at all and they also seemed to fall in love with the region. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: cmt Date: 08/16/2001, 01:51 pm Message: Here's an internet dialogue site for Qs & As and discussions and stories about Basilicata, especially all aspects of its culture, and, of course, travel: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Basilicata_culture You need to get yourself a Yahoo ID and password in order to use it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: cmt Date: 08/19/2001, 03:14 pm Message: Correction: Apparently some people are able to use the above group site without getting a yahoo ID, if I "invited" them directly by some process that I don't quite understand. I KNOW you can access it if you join it and use a Yahoo ID, and I think if you go there on your own, without some computerized "invitation" you will need to get a Yahoo ID (not hard, and free). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:22 PM

Author: cmt - details re festa mentioned in 1st post Date: 08/21/2001, 09:33 pm Message: “Il Maggio,” also called “la festa di Sangiuliano,” is an ancient agrarian festival of pagan origins. It was originally a peasant tree-cult ceremony, which, over the years, was joined by workers and students from the town. Much later this archaic tree spring tree festival became combined with a traditional patron saint celebration that took place at roughly the same time. The actual saint’s day festival takes place on the fifty first day after Easter (Tuesday). Therefore, “il maggio” does not always take place in May, despite its name. First, an oak tree and a holly tree are selected and cut from the woods around Accettura. On Sunday, men carry the holly to town, while the oak is dragged by 50 pairs of oxen, working in relay. Waiting for the procession of oxen becomes part of the festivities: crowds of people from town and country line the rural wooded route to town to watch the oxen pass, folk musicians entertain, and farmers share their food with passing visitors. Once the oak arrives in town early on Sunday evening, there’s a lot of raucous celebration. Then on Monday men begin their work on the trees and on the simple, but skillfully engineered, tools that will eventually lift the “maggio” securely into its traditional spot. Young, old, and middle-aged men work together, the novices and the relatively unskilled led and trained by the experienced and the acknowledged experts. If necessary, they repair or replace the wooden pulley post and the hand-made wooden wheel that will operate the pulleys that raise the “maggio” on Tuesday. Using traditional wood-joining techniques, the men join the oak and the holly in a “marriage” that, according to the ancient tree cult, was intended to ensure a good growing season. On Tuesday, the “maggio” (the two trees, now united as one) is dragged into position, then dragged down toward the pulley post, and using a wheel, pulley and guide ropes, it is partly raised into position into its pre-dug spot in the concrete. This spot is surrounded by stone and concrete bleachers, just below one of the town squares. Later in the day, the holiday suddenly turns into a fairly traditional small-town Catholic saint’s festival, as a statue of San Giuliano is carried around town, followed by a crowd demonstrating religious devotion. At the moment when San Giuliano arrives in the square above the site where the “maggio” is securely held in a strange diagonal position, the “maggio” is raised to its full erect position. At that moment this festa combines the pagan and Christian elements. Later in the day there are contests centering on the tree. In years past, live game animals used to be hung from the top of the tree where “hunters” shot at them. Today this is no longer allowed! Instead shooters aim at small painted metal tags symbolizing various animals. After the shooting, athletes and daredevils climb the “maggio” and retrieve any metal tags that remain. Each colored tag is linked to a specific prize, e.g., a chicken, a bottle of liquor. Every day of the festa the main street in the new part of town is lined with vendors’ stands. Marching bands and small groups of folk musicians play throughout the day, and there’s a concert every night. On the last night there are fireworks. Emigrants who work elsewhere often return to their hometown for the festa, and there are also tourists from other parts of Italy. However, I did not notice any other foreign tourists during the four days I was in the town and did not hear any foreign languages spoken at all. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:23 PM

Author: cmt Date: 08/26/2001, 08:57 am Message: topping for Jenny who has a question about travel in the heel and toe of Italy Basilicata is the arch of the foot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: carol Date: 11/17/2001, 08:21 pm Message: Shamelessly topping AGAIN, for that group of people who just heard about Basilicata for the first time today at our NYC GTG. Author: JD Date: 11/18/2001, 07:47 pm Message: CMT, I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed your site and the pictures of Basilicata. It really makes one want to go there and we will seriously be cinsidering it for 2002 trip. After reading 'dancing with Luigi" i developed a great interest in this aea even though I have no roots there -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Carol Date: 11/20/2001, 10:02 am Message: JD, If you do go, you will have a chance to see a lovely scenic area, with a culture that has not yet lost all of its old traditions. You probably won't hear any English spoken except by the people you happen to travel with. You might be interested in the free guidebooks I mentioned in one of the previous threads. If you would like one and need help ordering it from the tourism office by e-mail, let me know. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: dem Date: 11/20/2001, 09:05 pm Message: when is Il Maggio held ? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: carol Date: 11/20/2001, 10:49 pm Message: It's usually in May. This year it started June 2. It starts on a Sat. with cutting the two trees, Sunday the trees are carried to town (the oak dragged by 50 pairs of oxen), Mon. the trees are worked on, and Tues. the joined trees are raised and that's the official saint's day. La festa di San Giuliano is the 51st day after Easter, and it coincides with the last day of the 4-day festa del maggio. (The most interesting day to see is definitely Sunday when 100 oxen drag the tree to town form the woods and everyone comes out to watch.) I may have posted a full, long description of the entire festa in one of the previous posts. I'll check, and if not, I'll post it now. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:24 PM

Author: cmt Date: 08/26/2001, 08:57 am Message: topping for Jenny who has a question about travel in the heel and toe of Italy Basilicata is the arch of the foot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: carol Date: 11/17/2001, 08:21 pm Message: Shamelessly topping AGAIN, for that group of people who just heard about Basilicata for the first time today at our NYC GTG. Author: JD Date: 11/18/2001, 07:47 pm Message: CMT, I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed your site and the pictures of Basilicata. It really makes one want to go there and we will seriously be cinsidering it for 2002 trip. After reading 'dancing with Luigi" i developed a great interest in this aea even though I have no roots there -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Carol Date: 11/20/2001, 10:02 am Message: JD, If you do go, you will have a chance to see a lovely scenic area, with a culture that has not yet lost all of its old traditions. You probably won't hear any English spoken except by the people you happen to travel with. You might be interested in the free guidebooks I mentioned in one of the previous threads. If you would like one and need help ordering it from the tourism office by e-mail, let me know. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: dem Date: 11/20/2001, 09:05 pm Message: when is Il Maggio held ? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: carol Date: 11/20/2001, 10:49 pm Message: It's usually in May. This year it started June 2. It starts on a Sat. with cutting the two trees, Sunday the trees are carried to town (the oak dragged by 50 pairs of oxen), Mon. the trees are worked on, and Tues. the joined trees are raised and that's the official saint's day. La festa di San Giuliano is the 51st day after Easter, and it coincides with the last day of the 4-day festa del maggio. (The most interesting day to see is definitely Sunday when 100 oxen drag the tree to town form the woods and everyone comes out to watch.) I may have posted a full, long description of the entire festa in one of the previous posts. I'll check, and if not, I'll post it now. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:27 PM

Author: Maryann Date: 11/30/2001, 02:21 pm Message: I realize this area is basically an unspoiled small rural town, but does it have the modern "niceties" of a big city like Rome such as buses, trains, shopping and hotels? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: carol Date: 12/02/2001, 10:13 am Message: Maryann: Basilicata is one of the regions of Italy. It's not just a town. It has only two provinces: Potenza and Matera. The two provincial capitals are the only large cities in the region, but even they are not very large, and are as different from Rome as Trenton is from NYC (but much much much nicer than Trenton). Both Matera and Potenza have good shopping, public transportation to other parts of the region, hotels and plenty of restaurants. There is some public transportation throughout much of Basilicata, but it is not easy getting from place to place by train or bus. In most cases, it's necessary to go to Potenza to take a bus that goes elsewhere, and service might be very infrequent. Many small towns have their own little hotel, sometimes more than one, and every place has SOME good place where a stranger can eat. The restaurants, for the most part, serve excellent food, made with fresh local produce and seasoned in a very tasty way. At its best it is a high quality version of good, robust peasant food. The hotels are fine. Even in Accettura, which is just a little "unimportant" town, I was surprised that the hotel was very comfortable, with good bedding, excellent plumbing, and a good restaurant. So yes, at the moment, except for public transportation, which is too limited to be practical, the region has all the amenities that the average traveler needs, and at the same time, it still has a very traditional feel about it and some really remote areas where the old ways are still practiced. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:28 PM

Author: s.fowler Date: 12/03/2001, 01:51 pm Message: Just a reminder that some of Carol's photos are on the unofficial "fodorite" page. Go to http://traveurope.net/fodorite/fodor.htm and click on pictures -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: cmt Date: 12/31/2001, 02:02 pm Message: Joanne, there are some other books mentioned here, and also a few others topics that might interest you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Joanne Date: 12/31/2001, 02:10 pm Message: Carol: I had read parts of this thread previously because of our interest in Basilicata, but have now bookmarked it for future reference. Will check out the books when I have some time to really enjoy it! Thanks again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: cmt Date: 01/26/2002, 09:17 pm Message: Some people who e-mailed me seemed very much interested in the pagan tree festival that I saw last May. It is possible that a revised version of the tour I took last year, which will probably be repeated this May, will include the festa del maggio in Accettura. Some of you who are not totally opposed to tours may want to consider it. However, the itinerary isn't definite yet. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:30 PM

Author: jan Date: 02/12/2002, 09:25 am Message: Just thought I'd add a little to this dialogue about the forgotten but beautiful Southern Italy region. I went with my mother, her sister and husband, a brother and a cousin in 1997 to discover our roots. My grandfather was from San Giovanni di Gerace in Calabria. (My grandmother was from Brusciano outside of Naples, which we also visited, a sad area now.) We met up with a distant cousin from the neighboring and larger Gerace, and he was our "guide" for a couple of days. We stayed in Siderno, located on the gorgeous Ionian Sea, and could see the acropolis of Gerace in the evenings. It was a fascinating trip, no official tour needed. We did our own exploring. We also found the people of this region to be exceedingly helpful and friendly, wanting desperately to promote their area which was "stinking" with Greek ruins, as my aunt liked to put it. And beautiful. There is more information about this familial trip on a website my brother created at www.traveljack.net. He felt compelled to actually write a book about our journey, and it's a pretty fascinating(and well-written) account of the feelings Italy conjured up for him. Unfortunately it's not all posted on the site, but you can email him from it if you're interested. He went again a year or two later and got deeper into the region, wrote another account, but has yet to post it. But, as Carol says, GO!! It's a real "feel" for the country you will be left with, visiting this long, but no longer, neglected part of Italy. I cannot wait to go back someday. I love Italy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Carol Date: 03/13/2002, 06:42 pm Message: Shamelessly topping again, because I would like people to know about this underappreciated area. There will be a tour going there again this May. If anyone is interested, I can pass the info along to you. It's a little different from the tour I took last year (in some ways improved, e.g., Metaponto added to the itinerary), but in most ways pretty similar. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: xxxx Date: 04/20/2002, 01:24 pm Message: I think the person mentioned in Jan's post above wrote an article for the latest issue of Italy with Us, the internet newsletter about Italy. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:33 PM

Author: Deborah Date: 06/04/2002, 05:03 am Message: Carol, thanks for your committed posts about Basilicata; I've just discovered them. I'll be going to a meeting in Maratea in early July. Alas, I don't speak Italian, but I'd love to use some of my free time to explore more of the region. Any local guides? Suggested itineraries? Sorry to miss the recent festas [I'm an anthropologist], but am interested in all things cultural. Thanks! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: carol Date: 06/06/2002, 06:11 pm Message: Deborah: I replied by e-mail in more detail. Maratea is possibly the most touristy spot in Basilicata. There should be many Italian and foreign vacationers there in summer. I'd guess that there will probazbly be tours, drivers for hire, and othe services that toruists tend to want. If you have time to go to the more areas of the region, you may find that you're the only foreigner around for miles. as I said in my e-mail, you might want to access thre Yahoo Basilicata culture group site and look up the list of links to websites that I listed under the "bookmarks" file. You can also read the old messages and possibly e-mail some of the posteers who sound like they might have helpful info for you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: tonyccc Date: 06/10/2002, 11:13 pm Message: Deborah; You're posting mentioned that you'll be in Matera in early July Hopefully, you will be there on July 2nd for the Festa de Bruna Sagra di Santa Bruna a most strange and unforgettable Festa. See my posting from last June --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:34 PM

Author: Deborah Date: 06/11/2002, 02:58 am Message: Tony, alas I won't arrive till July 8! I enjoyed, and envied, your earlier post. Next time I'll have to check the saint's day calendar first! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: carol Date: 06/13/2002, 03:48 pm Message: Deborah, I didn't realize you would be going to Matera as well as Maratea. You don't plan to do it as a day trip from Maratea, do you? (Or do you?) I was there for only part of a day on a tour, but felt it was worth a lot more time and attention. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: jan Date: 08/12/2002, 09:33 pm Message: Yes, that was my brother mentioned in an April post who has now had 2 articles on the "Italy with Us" website. Definitely worth your time to check out if you're interested in this region. His name is Jack Renshaw. Check it out. And go to Calabria! You'll never regret it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Michelle Date: 08/25/2002, 11:50 pm Message: Dear Carol & others: Thank you for your info on Basilicata. I too have grandparents from that region: the town of Moliterno in Potenza. There is very little information here in the US, but a few years back the APT in Potenza sent me tons of touring booklet, maps etc. I am taking the plunge this October and taking my 80 year old mother to Moliterno. So we are really excited!!! We are starting in Venice and working our way south, so wish luck!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:39 PM

Author: Helen Donegan Date: 08/26/2002, 12:36 am Message: I have an article about Basilicata coming up in the September issue of Italy With Us. A lovely gentleman from the US writes about his visits to the area to discover the places his grandparents grew up in. I have also been persuading the tourist office in the region to give me more information about events there to put into the events section of the IWU site. They do have a great site which gives good information about every town in English: http://www.aptbasilicata.it/modules.php?name=comuni -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: MaryC Date: 08/29/2002, 12:10 am Message: Oooh, sounds wonderful, Carol. Thank you for the tip! For once, a place that's completely off-the-beaten track. : ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: kate Date: 08/29/2002, 01:59 pm Message: Carol--your joy in travelling in Basilicata is infectious--we are going in Oct.and going on to Apulia--cannot wait --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:40 PM

Author: mel Date: 08/29/2002, 10:22 pm Message: Your trip to Basilicata sounds great! I have to confess I had no prior knowledge of this part of Italy before reading your posts. I have a trip that I am planning for April 5-12, 2003 and I don't have a location yet. The festas you all describe sound wonderful. How can I find out if there are any local fesivals happening in April?? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Bill Date: 08/29/2002, 11:12 pm Message: Another trip planned for October, I see with the link on "your" website, Carol... http://www.unexploredworldtours.com/basilicatatour.htm Is this your company? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Michelle Date: 08/30/2002, 12:58 am Message: To Mel: Check the previous post -- about 4 or 5 up for the aptbasilicata.it web site. They have lots of info and events listed for all the towns. To Bill: No, I don't think Carol is involved with that tour company--she did take one of their tours to the area. I'm on their mailing list and the October tour has been cancelled due to lack of interest. But hopefully there will be something in 2003. Let's hope Rick Steves doesn't "discover" this area, it will be ruined! Regards, Michelle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: MaryC Date: 08/31/2002, 03:53 pm Message: Hey, I just saw another Connolly! Kate?? Hello!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Michelle Date: 10/06/2002, 10:38 pm Message: Will be leaving this Wednesday for Italy and Basilicata is on our agenda. Will let you know how it goes!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:42 PM

Author: carol Date: 11/24/2002, 09:03 am Message: Has anyone been there recently? If you went alone, how did you find driving to small hilltop towns on rugged mountain roads? If with a tour, what company? In answer to a previous post, no, I'm not involved with ANY tour company, but I did take a tour to Basilicata as I described, and I think the tour will be offered again next May. I am not aware of too many tours to the region. Besides the one that I took, there is a hiking tour in Pollino park/nature preserve in southern Basilicata that is offered by a British tour company, ATG-Oxford, which has a very good reputation. I've heard that this Pollino tour is beautiful but extremely strenuous. There used to be a short (5 days, I think) tour mainly to Puglia, which also went to one or two places in Basilicata, but it doesn't seem to be offered for 2003. It was offered by Italian Connection, a company based in Canada, which gives OUTSTANDING, very intelligently planned small-group tours in Sicily (I just took one and spoke to people who've taken others). (And no, that's not my company either--I'm not in the travel business at all, unfortunately, and must just scrape by on my limited vacation days each year.) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:44 PM

Author: Steve James Date: 11/24/2002, 09:19 am Message: Hi Carol - Ben tornata! I hope you had a wonderful time in Sicily. I see Etna's still spitting fire this morning. Did you see it? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Carol Date: 11/24/2002, 09:37 am Message: Yes, I had a great time. I was on my own for a week, then took an excellent 7-person tour for the second week. I managed to get to "my" town again and spent two nights at an agriturismo on the outskirts of the little mountain town in the Nebrodi Mts. where half my ancestors lived. The variety (in terms of history, geography, types of towns and accommodations, cooking styles, varying sounds of the dialect, even climate) I experienced in just two weeks on a single island was incredible. I thought November might not be such a great time to visit, but I got there just in time to see the olive harvest in several places and also saw two olive mills in action, where waiting for the family's or the farm's oil is quite an "event." Will e-mail later. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Michelle Date: 11/24/2002, 05:12 pm Message: In October, my mother, sister and I rented a car in Salerno, spent one night near Paestum, then headed to Basilicata to find our roots. My mother's parents came from a small town in Potenza called Moliterno. I had an excellent map from the Basilicata tourist board which shows every village, road and donkey trail. However, we still screwed up and missed our exit off the Autostrada. So I decided to take the next exit, down about 10 miles and take a yellow(smaller)road to Moliterno. It probably added an extra 45 minutes to our trek. The road winded through the rugged hills and was basically one lane. It was in fair shape with washed out areas. We stopped a shepard with his sheep and goats and got an idea that we still had a long way to go. We finally reached Moliterno. It was a real thrill for my mother to see the town she had always heard so much about from her mother. Mom is 81 and her parents left there in 1913, never to return. We found a hotel, wandered and drove up to the old town. There is a ruin of a Norman castle plus the old churches dating to the 1600s and 1700s. We asked about our relatives, but everyone we spoke to had only lived in the town less than 5 years. Finally, at the cemetary, we asked two old ladies in black if they knew our family. We had to use the family nickname, Famiglia de Sette and Amaride(?) for them to figure it out. Sure enough, they knew my grandmothers neices and nephews. To make a long story short. We met our cousins the next day and had lunch with them. They own the butcher shop so we had great sausage. They could not believe an American, my mother, could speak their dialect, Moliternese. We said out good byes and hope to keep in touch. As far as the driving, on the way back to Salerno we used the "red"(bigger)road on the map. Much better and quicker. I think it would have been hard to do this by myself. My sister drove and I navigated. I hope we can do it again an spend more time in the area. We barely got an intro to the region. Michelle

cmt	Feb 16th, 2003 03:45 PM

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Carol Date: 12/01/2002, 11:58 am Message: Michelle, I'm glad you were able to get a quick taste of this region including your ancestors' town. I also thought that some of the materials given out free by the Basilicata tourist office were excellent. I just looked up Moliterno on my Italy map. It looks like it is fairly near some lakes that looked very beautiful and unspoiled as I was passing through. I'm very surprised that you found all those people who'd only lived in Moliterno a few years. I didn't think people usually moved TO these towns. so many move away to the large cities, especially in the north, or other countries. Is there some industry in the town that is making the town a magnet for newcomers seeking jobs? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Michelle Date: 12/01/2002, 05:46 pm Message: Dear Carol: Moliterno is somewhat of a summer vacation resort. They have a very large sports center. I believe it is cooler there in the summer, thus the vacation draw. One man had moved there from Calabria and ran a cell phone and computer store. The others were running the newest and largest hotel in town. They were from either Calabria or Naples. We were able to gather that the old time locals, like our cousins, thought this new hotel was not good and had lousy food. The town is also a business center: banks, shopping, etc. for the smaller villages nearby. I hope we can make another trip some day. Michelle Author: carol Date: 12/09/2002, 04:50 pm Message: That's interesting. while the town may lose some of its traditional look, at least it may survive economically, and it will be a very good thing if there's enough different kinds of work in town so that many people can stay and make a living there. some of the old towns remain very pretty and traditional in appearance, but there's nothing to keep people there, and they are becoming ghost towns. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: cmt Date: 02/03/2003, 07:43 pm Message: It would be nice if Fodors would index this thread so that it can be retrieved via a word search for "Basilicata" or "Lucania." This is a beautiful, rugged, relatively unspoiled part of Italy where many of the old folkways and ancient celebrations are still very much alive. it's probably not a destination for a first or second or even third trip to Italy, but people who have seem many of the more famous spots in Italy might find a trip to this less known region very rewarding. That's why I am topping this thread now and then, and I see that others are also helping me by topping it occasionally. It seems that quite a few of the people who have traveled to Basilicata or who are considering going there have posted on this thread, so it may be a helpful one, if only it would come up in a normal search for the name of the region. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cmt	Apr 1st, 2003 07:57 PM

I am curious to know whethe anyone has visited this region recently. I reas so many people's comments expressing fears about being in a foreign country during times of war and terrorism. Sometimes I think about Basilicata, and how comparatively safe and peaceful it can be there.

MichelleY

Apr 2nd, 2003 08:45 AM

Dear Carol: I got an e-mail recently from Luisa Potenza: they have cancelled their May trip to Basilicata because of the war. I thought this was a shame since it is probably one of the safest places to be right now!! Hope to go back some day with my husband and daughter.

sicula

Apr 26th, 2003 07:18 AM

What a shame to have canceled a trip to Basilicata because of the war. I was there last month during the bleakest days of the war and had no problem whatsoever. In fact, I can think of no safer place to be than some remote Lucan village. Besides the food is outstanding in its purity and wholesomeness and the people genuine and friendly. Plus if you want the most for your tourist dollar, Basilicata is more than a bargain, it is a steal.

Beth	May 10th, 2003 08:51 PM

cmt: Thank you for reviving this thread. It is greatly appreciated.

cmt	May 25th, 2003 07:54 AM

I missed these last few posts.

Michelle: It's too bad the tour was cancelled. I agree that Basilicata would've been one of the safest places to be during times of war, terrorism, or general world-wide craziness. Unfortunately I think the tour tends to be publicized primarily among people who want to visit the region of their ancestral origins, even though I think the area would be tremendously appealing to a much broader range of curious and adventurous people who would appreciate experiencing some of the traditional ways that are not easy to find in the 21st century in western Europe.

Sicula: I told you so! If you happen to come back to this htread, why not post about your unplanned excursion into this region (and right during the beginning of the Iraq war!).

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