The Ghost Town of Craco

We woke to the town covered in fog and because we were close to the edge of town overlooking the gully it looked like we were at the edge of the world.

We enjoyed a very delicious breakfast today with our Italian hostess. This was a bit different to usual as we have always eaten our breakfast by ourselves in the past, either in a common breakfast room, on our balconies or with a voucher for a cafe close by. Today we enjoyed a very delicious breakfast in our host’s kitchen. Her home was above our “cave” rooms and it was beautiful. It was great hearing how her and her brother bought three rooms many years ago and as rooms next door became available they bought those too until they had enough to create their home.

Because our hostess had lived in Australia for ten years she spoke very good English and it was lovely to be able to communicate with her. She was telling us about how hard it is to live in Italy with the cost of living and taxes. Both Brad and I have realised while touring this country how very lucky we are to live in Australia and how we actually see the benefits of our rates and taxes. We really do live in the lucky country.

First stop today was the abandoned village of Craco. Craco is a ghost town and comune in the Province of Matera, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. The old town was abandoned due to natural disasters and the abandonment has made Craco a tourist attraction and a popular filming location. In 2010, Craco was included in the watch list of the World Monuments Fund.

Around 540 BC, the area was called Montedoro and inhabited by Greeks who moved inland from the coastal town of Metaponto. Tombs have been found dating from the 8th century BC, suggesting the original settlement dates back to then.

In 1963, Craco began to be evacuated due to a landslide and the inhabitants moved to the valley of Craco Peschiera. The landslide seems to have been provoked by works of infrastructure, sewer and water systems. In 1972 a flood worsened the situation further, preventing a possible repopulation of the historic center. After the earthquake in 1980, the ancient site of Craco was completely abandoned.

Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ was partially shot in Craco along with lots of other movies.

We had hoped to do a tour of the old town but English speaking tours aren’t that popular in the off peak season. Because you can’t enter the site unless you are in a tour we made do with photographing the city from beyond the walls. It is hard to comprehend that an entire city had been abandoned. We have seen many homes, buildings and complexes abandoned as we have driven around Italy but not such a large town.

It was a pretty cool detour and I have loved the countryside we have been driving through. The countryside in Southern Italy has been very different to Northern Italy and very picturesque. I’m very happy we have been able to experience both ends of Italy.Read more