parco del pollino

MATERA, CITY OF EVENTS
A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
AND A WORLD HERITAGE SITE
MATERA’S “SASSI” AND “PARCO
DELLE CHIESE RUPESTRI”
The Sassi (Rocks), which were assigned World Heritage
status by Unesco in 1993, are an intricate web of
alleys and stairs, caves and stylish buildings, arches
and balconies, orchards and ample terraces from
which characteristic chimney pots or the bell towers of
subterranean churches suddenly leap out. The place
is a potted history of art cut out of the volcanic rock, a
set of relations between people and families, dwellings,
streets, churches, between urban agglomeration and
fields. There is a feeling of being inside a Christmas
crib, living in another epoch: so much so that great film
directors like Pasolini and Mel Gibson have chosen
this as a natural and evocative setting for their films.
The Matera Regional Archaeological, Historical and
Natural Parco delle Chiese Rupestri, which is also on
Unesco’s World Heritage list, is certainly one of Italy’s
most spectacular rocky landscapes, testifies to the
age-old link between man and nature. With its soft
bedrock deeply marked by furrows gouged by cliffs,
gorges, caves and ravines, the Park contains more
than 150 prehistoric churches cut into the rocks.
PARCO DELLA MURGIA MATERANA
Via Sette Dolori, 10 (Rione Sassi) - Matera
T. +39 0835 336166 - F. +39 0835 337771
[email protected]
www.parcomurgia.it
www.comune.matera.it
MATERA, CITY OF EVENTS
THE SPIRITUALITY AND ART
OF THE BENEDICTINE MONKS
LA CRIPTA DEL
PECCATO ORIGINALE
Matera’s Cripta del Peccato Originale (Crypt of Original
Sin), also known as the “Hundred Saints Cave”, is
evidence of a place of worship in a rock Benedictine
cenoby dating from the Lombard period and is
therefore a remarkably important part of the history of
art in southern Italy.
Besides the geological peculiarities of the site, the
underground chamber is important because it contains
a series of frescos of the Benedictine-Beneventan
school, datable to the early 9th century AD. Thanks
to the audio support and special lighting, we can
understand the didactic nature of the fresco cycle,
dubbed the “Bible for the poor”, that is the Bible for
the humble community of believers.
CRIPTA DEL PECCATO ORIGINALE
Dragone Farm (MT)
Book your visit by contacting:
T. +39 835 330582 - F. +39 835 336439
[email protected]
MATERA, CITY OF EVENTS
GREAT SCULPTORS OF THE 20th
CENTURY: IBRAM LASSAW
GREAT EXHIBITIONS IN THE
“SASSI”
This is without question a magnificent showcase for
contemporary creativity.
82 sculptures, 56 drawings, 26 pieces of jewellery and
25 photographs by Ibram Lassaw come to life in the
Rupestre della Madonna delle Virtù and San Nicola dei
Greci Complex, in an anthology exhibition in Matera’s
“Sassi” from 14th June to 18th October 2008. One of
the most important artists in the New York school,
Lassaw worked beyond space and time, outside a
particular style, somewhere between virtual planes
and free forms and sometimes with unconventional
materials. The Lassaw Foundation of East Hampton
has arranged for the works - spanning the period
1929 to 1996 and coming from important private
collections in America and New York museums - to be
put on show here.
THE “LA SCALETTA” CULTURAL CENTRE
Via Sette Dolori, 10 - Rioni Sassi
75100 Matera - Italy
T. +39 0835 240079 - F. +39 0835 336726
www.lascaletta.net
[email protected]
MATERA, CITY OF EVENTS
MASTERPIECES
OF
CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY
SCULPTURE (MUSMA)
Sculpture set in the volcanic rock, like precious stones
set in antique jewellery. Palazzo Pomarci in Matera’s
“Sassi” is now a kind of jewel case. This is Musma, the
Museo della Scultura Contemporanea, first opened
to the public in 2006. Its 1000 square metres of
underground rooms, excavated from the rock, house
more than 250 works by international artists: there
are bronze, tuff, wood, iron and marble sculptures,
ceramics, drawings, engravings, medals and art
books. The sculptures donated to the Museum seem
to have found their natural, authentic habitat here in
the sober minimalism of its exhibition spaces.
The Scheiwiller Library, containing 3000 monographs
and catalogues, is in an annex to the museum
building.
FONDAZIONE ZÉTEMA
Palazzo Pomarici - Recinto Cavone, 5
75100 MT - Italy
T. +39 0835 330582 - F. T. +39 0835 336439
www.zetema.org
[email protected]
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MATERA, CITY OF EVENTS
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AN ANCIENT POPULAR
RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL
MADONNA DELLA BRUNA
Devotion and folklore go arm in arm. A patronal festival,
but also a way of keeping traditions and customs alive.
On July 2nd of every year, at dawn, Matera sets out
to pay honour to its patron, St. Maria della Bruna. The
festival opens with an evocative procession in which
the main feature is without doubt a papier-mache
float, a real work of art painstakingly built by Matera’s
artisans. The ”Madonna della Bruna” float has the
same basic structure and Baroque style that it had
in the 17th century, but has nonetheless changed
in form and substance. It advances through the
awaiting crowd, who will then smash to smithereens.
Afterwards, people take pieces home and keep them
as proof of their audacity and devotion to the faith.
Comune di Matera
Via A. Moro - 75100 MT - Italy
T. +39 0835 2411 - F. +39 0835 241369
www.comune.matera.it
[email protected]
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LAND OF MAGIC AND MEMORIES
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EMOTIONS
FROM ABOVE
VOLO DELL’ANGELO
Adrenalin and pure emotion come together in perfect
safety, framed by unique scenery and natural beauty.
Hanging from a mile-long steel cable 400 metres
aloft, travelling at 120 km per hour. These are the
data for the “Volo dell’Angelo (Flight of the Angel)”, a
unique event in Italy which took off to great acclaim
last summer and reopens this year on June 1st, for its
second exciting season. You dive between the sky and
the ground, surrounded by the Dolomites of Lucania’s
unforgettable scenery, the peaks of Castelmezzano
and Pietrapertosa, and the two charming villages
nestling in the rocks between which this extraordinary
adventure takes place.
Volo dell’Angelo – from 1st June to 30th September
Between the villages of Castelmezzano and
Pietrapertosa: both villages are on the SS Basentana
(E847 trunk road).
We recommend you book online using the website
www.volodellangelo.com
[email protected]
Tel and Fax +39 0971 986166 (Castelmezzano)
Tel and Fax +39 0971 983052
(Comune Pietrapertosa)
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LAND OF MAGIC AND MEMORIES
WHEN HISTORY
BECOMES
SPECTACLE
THE “PARCO DELLA GRANCIA”
AND THE “LA STORIA BANDITA”
SON ET LUMIÈRE SHOWS
The “Parco della Grancia” was Italy’s first historic
rural and environmental park: 12 hectares of nature
and culture in the charming scenery of the “Foresta
Grancia” in Brindisi di Montagna, a few kilometres
from Potenza. The highlight of this Park is its Son et
Lumière show, “La Storia Bandita (Outlawed History)”,
the biggest popular history show in Italy. Four hundred
volunteers from the area perform a live film show about
anti-Napoleonic rebellions and southern brigandage
during the Italian Risorgimento. Audiences get carried
away by the show with its amazing technology and
special effects.
LA STORIA BANDITA - PARCO DELLA GRANCIA
Brindisi di Montagna (PZ), Italy
SS Basentana (E847 trunk road), Grancia exit
(Brindisi di Montagna), 12 km from Potenza
every Saturday and Sunday from July to September.
Show starts at 9 p.m.
T. +39 971 23555 / +39 971 34692
F. +39 971 274066
www.parcostorico.it
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LAND OF MAGIC AND MEMORIES
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SPIRITUAL
JOURNEYS
THROUGH MAGIC
AND LITERATURE
THE “CARLO LEVI”
LITERARY PARK
The Park was inspired by Carlo Levi’s book, “Cristo si è
fermato ad Eboli (Christ Stopped at Eboli)”, in which he
recounts the dramatic story of his life while banished
to the villages of Grassano (MT) and Aliano (MT) in
1935-6. The village of Aliano has re-created a literary
park amongst the clay gullies so typical of this part of
Basilicata, offering a sentimental journey through the
places Levi describes in his famous book.
Parco Letterario “Carlo Levi” - Aliano, Italy
Open from July to September
Opening times: 10:30 - 13:00 / 16:00 - 19:30
T. +39 835 568315 / +39 835 568181
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MAGICAL MEMORIES
OF A POETESS
THE “ISABELLA MORRA”
LITERARY PARK
Valsinni, a village on the banks of the River Sinni,
from which it gets its name, is the place where the
poetess Isabella Morra was born in the early 1500s.
Murdered at the age of 25 for her suspected liaison
with a Spanish nobleman, her short, tragic life and her
poetry - rediscovered by the philosopher Benedetto
Croce - are commemorated in the Literary Park. The
whole mediaeval village is part of a voyage back into
time evoking the life, customs and places of that age.
Isabella’s life is revisited through the verse and music
of a minstrel who takes visitors through the village in
a poetic tour full of atmosphere.
Parco Letterario Isabella Morra - Valsinni (MT) - Italy
Opening times: from July to September
Other times by appointment only
Visitor centre: T. +39 835 817051
[email protected] – www.parcomorra.it
LAND OF MAGIC AND MEMORIES
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LAND OF MAGIC AND MEMORIES
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DISCOVERING ANCIENT
BASILICATA: A GAME
BETWEEN ARCHAEOLOGY
AND HISTORY
BASILEUS ARCHAEOPARK
Inspired by the extraordinary archaeological testimony
left to us by the peoples who once lived in Basilicata,
the Archeaoparco del Basileus in Bragiano (PZ) tells
their fascinating story through a “gateway” into the
history and myth of Lucania’s archaeological heritage.
In this easy to understand educational journey through
time, a series of surprising and amusing scenes helps
visitors understand the past with the aid of artefacts,
situations and games.
ARCHEOPARCO DEL BASILEUS
Opens to the public: Spring 2008
Summer opening times: every day from 9:00-13:00
and 17:00-21:00. Night-time visits by appointment.
Other times by appointment only
T. +39 971 997071 Mob. +39 329 0267653
[email protected]
www.comune.baragiano.pz.it
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NATURE TAKES A HOLIDAY
NATURE’S RITUAL
THE ARBOREAL CEREMONIES
OF BASILICATA
An archaic hymn to the fertility of the soil and life
through the matrimonio dell’albero (marriage of a tree)
between the top and the trunk of a tree.
The antiquity and specificity of these rituals express
the local people’s very close relationship with their
environment. With its dense forests, Lucania is the
region with the highest concentration of vegetation
ceremonies and is also where their enthralling magic
still thrives most. There are two areas in which the
ceremonies are concentrated:
The “Maggio” Area (Parco di Gallipoli Cognato) and the
“Sagra dell’abete” Area (Parco Nazionale del Pollino).
The “Maggio” Area
- Cutting takes place from the 1st Sunday after
Easter to Corpus Domini,
- Oliveto Lucano 10th to 12th August,
- Pietrapertosa 20th to 22nd June,
- Castelmezzano 12th and 13th September
The “Sagra dell’abete” Area
- Rotonda 8th to 13th June,
- Viggianello 1st week after Easter; 3rd Sunday in
August, 2nd Sunday in September,
- Castelsaraceno 19th June,
- Terranova di Pollino 13th June.
[email protected]
www.aptbasilicata.it (events section)
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NATURE TAKES A HOLIDAY
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COSTUMES AND COWBELLS
ZOOMORPHIC CHARACTERS IN
THE LUCANIAN CARNIVAL
Cowbells, with their magic, propitiatory ring, open
Basilicata’s evocative ritual Carnival celebrations.
At this time we remember times gone by, the world
of nature and animals that filled ancient myths and
legends with life. Inspired by the supernatural and
fantastic, the cowbells of San Mauro Forte, the
costumes of Tricarico, carnival in Cirigliano and Aliano,
and one of the last surviving arboreal ceremonies
featuring the romita (hermit) in Satriano di Lucania,
these are all traditional events which use costume to
tell the story of humanity’s fascinating journey and its
ways of representing reality. The next appointment is
for 2009.
[email protected]
www.aptbasilicata.it (events section)
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NATURE TAKES A HOLIDAY
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NOTES AT HIGH
ALTITUDES
IN THE
“PARCO
DEL POLLINO”
THE GREAT ETHNO-MUSICAL
TRADITION
Notes at high altitudes in the Lucanian summer. There
is a choice of musical events ranging from the Pollino
Music Festival, with its four days of fine music, nature
and entertainment at San Severino Lucano, the pearl
of the Parco Nazionale del Pollino. We also stop off at
the inter-regional Terme Live show/contest for young
musicians at Latronico, to which well established
artists are also invited to perform. Then we have the
Agglutination Metal Festival, one of the south of Italy’s
few metal festivals, featuring world famous metal
groups, and the Radici Etno-Contest at Viggianello in
the heart of the Park, the only ethnic music festival
where the first night is dedicated to a competition
for young musicians, followed by a night for well
established ethnic music groups. Whether or not
you are a music lover, we recommend this itinerary
in the Park to you because excellent food, excursions
in the country and numerous cultural, religious and
traditional events will also be available.
[email protected]
www.aptbasilicata.it (events section)
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NATURE TAKES A HOLIDAY
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"IN VINO VERITAS" (HORACE)
AGLIANICA
So said the Latin poet who was dear to Mecenate and
Augustus: that the drink sacred to Dionysus helps
man to be sincere and drives away his cares. Horace,
who was born in the “Vulture”, home of Aglianico in
Basilicata, probably had wine in his heart and blood:
Aglianico di Vulture is an aromatic, intense, full-bodied
and well-structured red wine which adorns the table
and breathes its native soil. In this region, towered
over by the Vulture volcano, from the foot of which
mineral water gushes and where the vine grows, the
king of the table is celebrated every September at the
Aglianica festival. Hosted in the region’s palaces and
castles, the festival includes exhibition and tasting
stands, side events, meetings and concerts to give us
a combination of wine and its zone of production, the
twin cultures of table and hospitality.
AGLIANICA WINE FESTIVAL
Melfi, historic centre and the castle of Frederick II,
5-7th September 2008
Aglianica Associazione Culturale
Via Guido Rossa, 12
85028 Rionero in Vulture PZ, Italy
T. +39 972 720166 - F. +39 972 6931181
www.aglianica.it - [email protected]
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SACRED PERFORMANCES
DURING HOLY WEEK IN THE
VULTURE-MELFESE REGION
The drama of Calvary is staged in the streets and
squares of Vulture-Melfese. Holy Week is marked by
one sacred performance after another. Barile holds
the record for the oldest performance using living
characters, with its celebration of Easter. Atella’s
performance features a very evocative crucifixion scene
with the two thieves, made particularly realistic by
special sound and visual effects. There are noteworthy
performances in Rapolla, Rionero and Venosa, where
the Good Friday procession is a faithful representation
of the Biblical description. Some of Vulture’s finest
and most characteristic monuments form a natural
backdrop to the final moments in Christ’s life.
[email protected]
www.aptbasilicata.it (events section)
ON THE SACRED TRAIL
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ON THE SACRED TRAIL
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THE JEWISH CATACOMBS
IN VENOSA
The Jewish Catacombes in Venosa give evidence of
particular historical and archaeological importance
about the veneration of the dead during antiquity. In
particular, they show that there was a large Jewish
community in the town of Orazio during the 3rd and 4th
centuries. These vestiges of the past take the form of
tunnels cut into the volcanic rock. There are wall loculi
and niches containing two or three tombs, as well as
lateral loculi for children. At the end of the main tunnel
there are numerous graffiti and funeral inscriptions in
Hebrew, Greek, Latin and incised pictures of sevenbranched candelabra, horns, palms and amphorae.
Visits by appointment:
T. +39 0972 36095 - www.archeobasi.it
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THE GREAT CHRISTIAN
PILGRIMAGES: THE MADONNAS
OF VIGGIANO, SIRINO AND
POLLINO.
The sanctuary of “Sacro Monte della Madonna di
Viggiano”, in the province of Potenza, is the most
important place in Basilicata for the cult of the Virgin
Mary. It was built on the spot where an image of the
“Black Madonna”, proclaimed Patron and Queen
of Lucania, was found in the 14th century. The first
Sunday in May is a day of joy and prayer on which
the statue is carried from the village church to the
sanctuary in the mountains. Then, on the first Sunday
in September the festival takes place again, with an
evocative procession which takes the Virgin Mary back
to the village to be kept there until the following May.
The pilgrimage of Mount Sirino, held on the third Sunday
in June, in which a large congregation carries a statue
of the Virgin Mary shoulder-high to the sanctuary on
the slopes of the mountain and the one on Mount
Pollino, held on the Friday and Saturday before the
first Sunday in July, are both enchantingly spiritual. In
September, the statues of the Virgin Mary are taken to
Lagonero and San Severino Lucano respectively.
[email protected]
www.aptbasilicata.it (events section)
ON THE SACRED TRAIL
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EPIC DEEDS OF MEDIAEVAL KNIGHTS
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TEMPUS NORMANNORUM
Three big re-enactments of important events from the
mediaeval period, known as the Tempus Normannorum
(from the second half of the 11th century up to 1118,
the year of the first Crusade), take place in August.
The performances feature characters dressed in
magnificent, historically exact costumes.
[email protected]
www.aptbasilicata.it (events section)
Acerenza: From the Lombards to the Normans,
the history of a cathedral
In Acerenza on the 11th and 12th August the historical
procession and theatrical performers wind their way
through the streets and squares of this, one of the
“most beautiful villages in Italy”, ending up at the
splendid cathedral. The theme is the meeting between
Archbishop Godano and Robert Guiscard in 1061 and
the start of construction on the magnificent church.
Banzi: The Visit of Pope Urban II
At Banzi on 17th and 18th August of every year there
is a historical procession to commemorate the visit
of Pope Urban II, the Pope of the Crusades and the
Council of Melfi. At the end of the procession, there
are performances and food of the period.
Forenza: The Templar legend, Ugo de Pagani and
the challenge of the AD 1118 myth 1118
In Forenza, on the 15th and 16th August, a historical
procession winds through the narrow streets of the
ancient village re-enacting the people and events from
the history of the Knights Templar. Forenza is linked
to the monastic order by the fact that the “castrum
Florentiae” belonged to the family of the founder and
first Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Ugo de
Pagani.
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EPIC DEEDS OF MEDIAEVAL KNIGHTS
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RE-ENACTMENTS AND
HISTORICAL PROCESSIONS
From spring to autumn there are many opportunities
to see historical performances and re-enactments in
Basilicata.
Melfi
The Feast of the Holy Spirit, which takes place on
Pentecost, commemorates the return of the inhabitants
of Melfi after it had been sacked by the French in
1528, with a pilgrimage to Mount Vulture, a procession
through the town’s historic centre and performances
by flag-wavers and knights in costume.
On the last weekend of October, the magnificent
court of Frederick II of Swabia is the backdrop to
the International Falconry Convention and Falconer’s
Gathering which plans a procession of falconers
through the town, accompanied by a striking popular
feast of drummers, clarions, jesters, nobility of the
time of Frederick, stilt artists, minstrels, balladeers
and fire-eaters.
Lagopesole
On 12th and 13th August 2008, in the Norman-Swabian
castle in the village of Lagopesole, the atmosphere in
the court of Frederick II is brought alive with the Palio
dei Tre Feudi (Contest of the Three Estates) and the
historical re-enactment entitled Alla Corte di Federico
(At the Court of Frededrick). The latter is a performance
which includes the trying on of the ring, an archery
contest and battles, as well as the mediaeval market
and encampment. It feels like a village holiday, with
typical mediaeval food, processions of nobility, ladies,
knights, jesters, courtiers, pages, squires, archers,
falconers and performances by flag-wavers, jugglers,
fire-eaters, dancers and musicians.
Muro Lucano
Here, in August, the Angevin period is the backdrop
to a historical procession based on the life of Joanna
I of Anjou. Lasting from 22nd to 24th August, there is a
historic procession through the streets of Muro Lucano,
concluding with the “Giostra degli Anelli (Tournament
of the Rings)” on the last day.
Brindisi di Montagna
The atmosphere of times gone by is brought alive
in the village of Brindisi di Montagna at the end of
October. During the Giornate Medievali (Mediaeval
Days) around the charming castle there will be squires,
ladies, knights, musicians, jesters, tournaments,
games and food with ancient flavours.
[email protected]
www.aptbasilicata.it
(events section)
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THE ENIGMA OF REALITY
EXHIBITION ON THE VARIOUS
PATHS OF REALISM IN ITALY
The idea of the real and the relationship of the
artist with the representation of reality have been
fundamental questions for art since the end of the
1800s, culminating in the work contemporary artists.
Symbolism, post-impressionism and the advances
made in the sciences, such as physics and optics,
opened up an exciting interaction with the real, giving
art new perspectives and allowing the artist (until then
only considered to be in competition with nature) a
more rational and interpretative approach to the data
of reality. The exhibition, entitled L’enigma del Vero
(The Enigma of Reality) and sponsored by Potenza
Municipality, will take place in the Galleria Civica di
Palazzo Loffredo from October 2008 to February
2009. The 80 works on exhibit will include paintings,
sculpture and drawings, and will give ample space to
the numerous and ever more pressing problems and
questions posed by reality over the decades.
The Municipal Gallery in Palazzo Loffredo
Piazza Pignatari - 85100 Potenza, Italy
T. +39 0971 27185
www.comune.potenza.it
POTENZA TOWN CULTURE
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POTENZA TOWN CULTURE
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ANCIENT BASILICATA,
CROSSROADS OF PEOPLES
AND CULTURES
THE “DINU ADAMESTEANU”
NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL
MUSEUM OF BASILICATA
The National Archaeological Museum of Basilicata,
situated in Palazzo Loffredo in the historic centre of
Potenza, comprises elegantly spacious and sober
spaces occupying a total of over two thousand
square metre. Divided into two floors connected by
a spectacular staircase, according to period and
geographical region, the collection offers visitors a
general overview of the region’s archaeology. This
huge and complex task, considering that the region has
been the meeting place for peoples of many different
extractions and cultures, is achieved with the first
permanent exhibition of the exceptional finds made
in the region. It is divided into different sections which
illustrate, using texts in Italian and English, cultural
developments in ancient Basilicata from the period
before Greek colonisation up to the Roman conquest.
The importance and variety of the archaeological finds
and the exceptional way in which they are exhibited
here make this museum one of the most important in
the south of Italy.
The Museum is open every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m,
except for Monday morning.
Guided tours are available.
Palazzo Loffredo - Largo Duomo 1
T. +39 0971 21719 - +39 0971 323111
www.archeobasi.it
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POTENZA TOWN CULTURE
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AN ANCIENT TRADITION
BETWEEN HISTORY AND
LEGEND
LA SFILATA DEI TURCHI
(THE PROCESSION OF THE TURKS)
A dive into the past, among myth and history, the sacred and the profane. Turks and Christian knights, ladies and common people, jugglers and acrobats, flagwavers, musicians, distributed among the scenes in a
long historical procession, crowd the main streets of
Potenza every year. This is 29th May, preceding the day
of the town’s Patron Saint, Bishop Saint Gerardo, whose effigy concludes the procession. The characters in
period costumes celebrate the legendary protection
given to the town by the Saint. The “Palio delle Sei
Porte – Giostra degli anelli (Contest of the Six Gates Tournament of the Rings)” in which expert jousters on
horseback belonging to factions and representing the
six ancient Gates of the town compete skilfully for the
custody of the Palio (winner’s banner) until the next
year’s contest.
Comune di Potenza
Piazza Matteotti
T. +39 0971 415000 - F. +39 0971 27075
www.comune.potenza.it
[email protected]
Pro Loco Potenza, vico Stabile n° 10
T. +39 0971 23964 - Mob. 348 5106099
www.prolocopotenza.it
[email protected]
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Traduzione: TRANSLATED SRL
Azienda di Promozione Turistica
della Basilicata
Potenza
Info tel + 39 0971 507622/ 507611
[email protected]
Matera
Info tel + 39 0835 331817/ 331983
[email protected]
www.aptbasilicata.it
[email protected]