Basilicata

Among the wonder of Italy all to be discovered is there still the Basilicata. Earth of light, earth for person who love it to rediscover the charm of travelling following secondary roads, that lean out on unusual landscapes from the ridges of the mountains and the hills.

The Basilicata is a place of contrasts and strong harmonies, from the woods of the potentino to the lunar landscapes of the materano, from the sandy beaches of the Ionian to the jagged coasts of the Tyrrhenian, from the greens pastures to the yellow expanses of wheat. It is a region from the vast horizons and from the depths silences. A landscape with intact places still that seems has been being forgotten for the time.

This small region is wet from two seas: southwest the Tyrrhenian, with the rocky coast of Maratea, splendid pearl surrounded by the mountains and by the nature; southeast the Ionian, with the sandy and wide beaches that for 30 km, from Metaponto and Nova Sires, delimit a lowland fertile rich in fruit and archaeological finds of the period of the Greek colonization. The sea in Basilicata is among the cleanest of Italy.

Nature
The National Park of the Pollino is the greatest park in Italy. Its surface covers around 200.000 hectares on the thick mountainous calabro-lucano, and its peaks overcome the 2.200 meters. It possesses an exceptional variety of presences of great naturalistic, landscape and human relief.

In the heart of the Basilicata lies the Regional Park of Gallipoli Cognato and the Dolomites Lucane. The Park is primarily constituted by the Forest of Gallipoli Cognato, that develops in the whole area lacing to the surrounding woods. Fascinating the Dolomites Lucane, a picturesque rocky chain of compact sandstones modelled by the atmospheric events that it actually extends him from the high ground of Castelmezzano to Pietrapertosa, creating a unusual scenery where rocky steeples and towers dominating the Valley of the Basento. But in Basilicata there are other mountainous zones: the chain of the west Sirino, the Appennino Lucano between the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian, the north Vulture and the mountains around Potenza. They are all zones covered from woods where the nature is still owner of the time.

Regional cusine
The art of the kitchen represents one of the most evident signs of the culture of a nation. The kitchen lucana is simple, often spontaneous in its elaboration, also combining in varied way the elements that its earth produces.

The particular variability of climatic and of the landscape, with secular woods to green pastures that softly degrade toward fertile lowlands, allows the production of real treasures of the gastronomy.The Aglianico of the Vulture, wine DOC of the north of the Basilicata has Hellenic origins, and is some best European red wine. Rich it is the choice of cheeses. The air of the mountain allows the production of good cold meats and the honey. Appreciated are the Beans of Sarconi and the Peppers of Senise. Distributed in the three zones of the territory the production of extra virgin olive oil. Along the coast are cultivated strawberries, apricots, grape, peaches. Fruits of wood and chestnuts in the inside areas, toward the mountains. Rooted it is the tradition to preserve the vegetables pickled in oil. The pasta of hard wheat, the oven products and the Bread of Matera complete an unique offer for variety and quality.