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Historic Sights & Scenery
History abounds here as many different nationalities made their mark; the French, Greeks and Arabs. Perched on the hill above The Bergamot is Rabatana, an original Arabic town dating from 8th century. The church here is beautiful with a crypt decorated with frescos that look like they were painted yesterday.
The Church of San Filippo near The Bergamot is 1000 years old and is in Baroque style. Also the Old Commune (town hall) in the old town has a museum.
The Sanctuary of Maria Angolona is also worth a visit, a beautiful Church perched high
on a hill about 5 miles from Tursi. At Metaponto there are Greek columns and a small museum. Val Sinni has the castle of Isabella Morra, (murdered by her brothers for having a 'friendship' with a man), dating back to the 16th century.
Matera is one of the two provincial capitals of Basilicata. It will be European Capital of Culture in 2019, and can be reached in under an hour. It has gained international fame for its ancient town and World Heritage Site; the "Sassi di Matera" (meaning "stones of Matera"). The Sassi originated as a prehistoric troglodyte settlement, and these dwellings are thought to be among the first ever human settlements in what is now Italy. The second oldest constantly inhabitated city in the world, after Jerusalem, it was the backdrop to Mel Gibson’s Passion Of The Christ. Matera also boasts many churches and it's just wonderful wandering around this amazing part of history.
Other Places of Interest
Close to Tursi is Craco, an abandoned town. You can only go in with an official guide
but it is really worth a trip.
The other part of the Province is Potenza, going north it's much cooler so does not
have Basilicata's exotic landscape of cactus, palm and olive trees. Here you will find
the castle of Federico the second and the castle at Melfi linked to the
Knights Templars and the Crusades.