Basilicata

Introducing Basilicata

Long regarded as Italy’s backwater, Basilicata is no longer a stranger to visitors. Its capital Matera has seen a recent surge in popularity and the city’s famous sassi (cave dwellings) are fast becoming a staple of Italian tourism. Thankfully, the city remains an atmospheric, intriguing place, and walking around Matera’s stone-carved streets is still a treat for any photographer.

Basilicata is sparsely populated, and there are extensive areas of the region that show little sign of human intervention. Basilicata is mostly hilly and at times mountainous. It is emerald green in the spring, and arid brown for the rest of the year. There are a handful of interesting cities, particularly Venosa, which has wonderful Roman ruins, and Melfi. Towns like Pisticci and Ferrandina will make you feel like you have been transported to Andalusia or Greece. There are beautiful beaches on the Ionian side of Basilica whilst the coast on the Tyrrhenian Sea boasts a handful of popular beach resorts, including Maratea.

My photographs include Matera, Pisticci, Melfi, Venosa and rural landscapes of Basilicata in the late spring.