, CITY OF EVENTS  A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE AND A WORLD HERITAGE SITE

MATERA’S “SASSI” AND “PARCO The Matera Regional Archaeological, Historical and Natural Parco delle Chiese Rupestri, which is also on DELLE CHIESE RUPESTRI” Unesco’s World Heritage list, is certainly one of ’s most spectacular rocky landscapes, testifies to the The Sassi (Rocks), which were assigned World Heritage age-old link between man and nature. With its soft status by Unesco in 1993, are an intricate web of bedrock deeply marked by furrows gouged by cliffs, alleys and stairs, caves and stylish buildings, arches gorges, caves and ravines, the Park contains more and balconies, orchards and ample terraces from than 150 prehistoric churches cut into the rocks. 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, PARCO DELLA MURGIA MATERANA streets, churches, between urban agglomeration and Via Sette Dolori, 10 (Rione Sassi) - Matera fields. There is a feeling of being inside a Christmas T. +39 0835 336166 - F. +39 0835 337771 crib, living in another epoch: so much so that great film [email protected] directors like Pasolini and Mel Gibson have chosen www.parcomurgia.it this as a natural and evocative setting for their films. 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] 10 MATERA, CITY OF EVENTS 11 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] 12 LAND OF MAGIC AND MEMORIES 13

EMOTIONS FROM ABOVE

Adrenalin and pure emotion come together in perfect VOLO DELL’ANGELO safety, framed by unique scenery and natural beauty.

Hanging from a mile-long steel cable 400 metres Volo dell’Angelo – from 1st June to 30th September aloft, travelling at 120 km per hour. These are the Between the villages of and data for the “Volo dell’Angelo (Flight of the Angel)”, a : both villages are on the SS Basentana unique event in Italy which took off to great acclaim (E847 trunk road). last summer and reopens this year on June 1st, for its second exciting season. You dive between the sky and We recommend you book online using the website the ground, surrounded by the Dolomites of ’s www.volodellangelo.com unforgettable scenery, the peaks of Castelmezzano [email protected] and Pietrapertosa, and the two charming villages Tel and Fax +39 0971 986166 (Castelmezzano) nestling in the rocks between which this extraordinary Tel and Fax +39 0971 983052 adventure takes place. (Comune Pietrapertosa) 14 LAND OF MAGIC AND MEMORIES 15 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 LA STORIA BANDITA - PARCO DELLA GRANCIA from . The highlight of this Park is its Son et Brindisi di Montagna (PZ), Italy Lumière show, “La Storia Bandita (Outlawed History)”, SS Basentana (E847 trunk road), Grancia exit the biggest popular history show in Italy. Four hundred (Brindisi di Montagna), 12 km from Potenza volunteers from the area perform a live film show about every Saturday and Sunday from July to September. anti-Napoleonic rebellions and southern brigandage Show starts at 9 p.m. during the Italian Risorgimento. Audiences get carried T. +39 971 23555 / +39 971 34692 away by the show with its amazing technology and F. +39 971 274066 special effects. www.parcostorico.it LAND OF MAGIC AND MEMORIES 17 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 (MT) in 1935-6. The village of Aliano has re-created a literary park amongst the clay gullies so typical of this part of , 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 18 LAND OF MAGIC AND MEMORIES 19 MAGICAL MEMORIES OF A POETESS

THE “ISABELLA MORRA” LITERARY PARK

Valsinni, a village on the banks of the River , 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 - (MT) - Italy Opening times: from July to September Other times by appointment only Visitor centre: T. +39 835 817051 [email protected] – www.parcomorra.it 20 LAND OF MAGIC AND MEMORIES 21 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 22 NATURE TAKES A HOLIDAY 23 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, - 10th to 12th August, - Pietrapertosa 20th to 22nd June, - Castelmezzano 12th and 13th September

The “Sagra dell’abete” Area - Rotonda 8th to 13th June, - 1st week after Easter; 3rd Sunday in August, 2nd Sunday in September, - 19th June, - 13th June.

[email protected] www.aptbasilicata.it (events section) 24 NATURE TAKES A HOLIDAY 25 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 , the costumes of , carnival in and Aliano, and one of the last surviving arboreal ceremonies featuring the romita (hermit) in , 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) 26 NATURE TAKES A HOLIDAY 27 NOTES AT HIGH ALTITUDES IN THE “PARCO DEL POLLINO”

THE GREAT ETHNO-MUSICAL TRADITION

Notes at high altitudes in the Lucanian summer. There where the first night is dedicated to a competition is a choice of musical events ranging from the Pollino for young musicians, followed by a night for well Music Festival, with its four days of fine music, nature established ethnic music groups. Whether or not and entertainment at , the pearl you are a music lover, we recommend this itinerary of the Parco Nazionale del Pollino. We also stop off at in the Park to you because excellent food, excursions the inter-regional Terme Live show/contest for young in the country and numerous cultural, religious and musicians at , to which well established traditional events will also be available. 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 [email protected] the heart of the Park, the only ethnic music festival www.aptbasilicata.it (events section) 28 NATURE TAKES A HOLIDAY 29 "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 “”, 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 , historic centre and the castle of Frederick II, 5-7th September 2008 Aglianica Associazione Culturale Via Guido Rossa, 12 85028 PZ, Italy T. +39 972 720166 - F. +39 972 6931181 www.aglianica.it - [email protected] 30 ON THE SACRED TRAIL 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. 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 , Rionero and , 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) 32 ON THE SACRED TRAIL 33

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 seven- branched candelabra, horns, palms and amphorae.

Visits by appointment: T. +39 0972 36095 - www.archeobasi.it 34 ON THE SACRED TRAIL 35 THE GREAT CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGES: THE MADONNAS OF , 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) EPIC DEEDS OF MEDIAEVAL KNIGHTS 37 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. : 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. : 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. : The Templar legend, Ugo de Pagani and the challenge of the AD 1118 myth 1118 [email protected] In Forenza, on the 15th and 16th August, a historical www.aptbasilicata.it (events section) 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. 38 EPIC DEEDS OF MEDIAEVAL KNIGHTS 39 RE-ENACTMENTS AND HISTORICAL PROCESSIONS

From spring to autumn there are many opportunities to see historical performances and re-enactments in Basilicata.

Melfi falconers and performances by flag-wavers, jugglers, The Feast of the Holy Spirit, which takes place on fire-eaters, dancers and musicians. 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 Here, in August, the Angevin period is the backdrop through the town’s historic centre and performances to a historical procession based on the life of Joanna nd th by flag-wavers and knights in costume. I of Anjou. Lasting from 22 to 24 August, there is a On the last weekend of October, the magnificent historic procession through the streets of Muro Lucano, court of Frederick II of Swabia is the backdrop to concluding with the “Giostra degli Anelli (Tournament the International Falconry Convention and Falconer’s of the Rings)” on the last day. Gathering which plans a procession of falconers Brindisi di Montagna through the town, accompanied by a striking popular The atmosphere of times gone by is brought alive feast of drummers, clarions, jesters, nobility of the in the village of Brindisi di Montagna at the end of time of Frederick, stilt artists, minstrels, balladeers October. During the Giornate Medievali (Mediaeval and fire-eaters. Days) around the charming castle there will be squires, Lagopesole ladies, knights, musicians, jesters, tournaments, On 12th and 13th August 2008, in the Norman-Swabian games and food with ancient flavours. castle in the village of Lagopesole, the atmosphere in the court of Frederick II is brought alive with the Palio [email protected] dei Tre Feudi (Contest of the Three Estates) and the www.aptbasilicata.it historical re-enactment entitled Alla Corte di Federico (events section) (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, 40 POTENZA TOWN CULTURE 41 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 42 POTENZA TOWN CULTURE 43 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 Museum is open every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m, The importance and variety of the archaeological finds except for Monday morning. and the exceptional way in which they are exhibited Guided tours are available. here make this museum one of the most important in Palazzo Loffredo - Largo Duomo 1 the south of Italy. T. +39 0971 21719 - +39 0971 323111 www.archeobasi.it 44 POTENZA TOWN CULTURE 45 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 sa- cred and the profane. Turks and Christian knights, la- dies and common people, jugglers and acrobats, flag- wavers, 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, who- se 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] 46 47 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]