TRICARICO: THE ARAB-NORMAN CITY

Tricarico lies on a beautiful position (698 m a.s.l.) close to vast hardwood forests and owns one of the most important historical town centre in Basilicata. Seat of an ancient diocese, it has always stood out because of its cultural resources, stimulated by knowledgeable Bishops. 

Inhabited already in the stoneage and influenced from the Greeks, it became a Longobardic town, then became Byzantine and then sugject to the Saracen domination, who created the so called Rabata and Saracena districts, made of a tangle of main roads (the Arabian shari), narrow streets (darb), blind alleys (susac), terraced gardens and “Saracens gardens”, revealing the Islamic tradition

During the Norman domination, the town was turned into a county and a castle was built, which still remains with his 27 m high tower dominating the highest hill of the town. The tour includes the visit of the Renaissance Palazzo Ducale in whose halls, decorated by coats and paintings, a small but very interesting museum of the archeological findings of the area is located.
Remarkable is the Romaneque Cathedral (1061) and the church of Santa Chiara with its amazing Chapel of the Crucifix completely covered with frescoes of Pietro Antonio Ferro in 1611, the most important painter of Basilicata in the 17th Century. 

Tricarico is also the birth place of Rocco Scotellaro: one of the most important poets and intellectuals of the Basilicata Region, politically and socially active to sort out the problems after the Second World War. Animated from a strong and ideal charge, which can be found in his literary production and in his social engagement, he became a symbol of the social fight of the local population to get a ransom from their poor condition and identity of that time, which is very well described in the literary masterpiece Crist stopped at Eboli written by Carlo Levi, friend and mentor of Rocco Scotellaro.

Days available: Every day. Possibility of pick-up in Matera or accomodations in the surrounding area according to your needs.
Time Length:
2,5 hours plus the transfer times from/to Matera or surrounding areas.
Difficulty: Easy even if some parts of the tour take place not on flat areas.
Don’t forget: Comfy shoes, camera and during summer water, cap and sun cream.

Price and Notes:

Thel tour is private but, upon request and according to availability, it is possible to make a Tour Sharing with other guests in order to reduce the costs. 

If you don’t have a car to reach Tricarico, it is possible to book a shuttle bus.

This Tour can be comined with others of Matera and of surrounding area (in particular with the Lucanian Dolomites). Please contact me for more information and price.