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    • TravelerPhoeninEurope
      2
      Day 49

      Habitats insolites 👀

      May 2, 2023 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

      De retour sur le continent ! Welcome back !!

      On ne vous cache pas qu'on a éprouvé quelques difficultés à quitter notre île... La Sicile a réellement gagné notre cœur ! ❤

      En miroir avec nos émotions, une pluie s'est abattue sur l'Italie durant quelques jours, ralentissant notre rythme et permettant une transition douce avec la suite du périple 🌧🌈. (Nous sommes resté•e•s coincé•e•s 2 jours près d'une chapelle en altitude, avec pour seule voisine une statue de la vierge ! Superbe spot, mais impossible de redescendre à cause du chemin de terre que l'on avait emprunté et qui était devenu impraticable avec la pluie (!). On a activé le mode autarcie, on a presque failli faire de la récupération d'eau de pluie car notre réserve commençait à s'amenuiser 😅).

      MATERA & LES SASSI

      Après cette petite mésaventure, nous sommes parti•e•s à la découverte d'une des plus vielles villes du monde, porte d'entrée de la région des Pouilles, le talon de la botte : Matera !

      Pour la petite histoire...👇
      Les premier•e•s habitant•e•s de la ville avaient élu domicile dans des maisons troglodytes : les sassi ; et ce jusque dans les années 50 ! Un jour, un journaliste a rédigé un article à propos de ces personnes vivant à contre courant, auprès de la nature avec leurs animaux, dans des conditions similaires à celles du Moyen-âge. Ce coup de projecteur a produit un scandale dans tout le pays, le gouvernement a alors désignée la situation comme une "honte nationale" et a obligé les familles à déménager dans des immeubles de la nouvelle ville. Plus tard, les sassi ont été réhabilitées et sont de nouveaux habitées.

      Parcourir les rues de cette ville chargée d'histoires et profiter de la vue magnifique sur les prémices du canyon verdoyant des Pouilles, c'était fantastique ! 💫🔥

      ALBEROBELLO & SES TRULLI

      Sur la route entre Matera et Alberobello, on rencontre déjà des trulli !

      Il s'agit de petites maisons circulaires en pierres blanchies à la chaux au toit conique. Solitaires ou jumelles, elles se regroupent en petits hameaux. À l'origine, le trullo était construit pour loger les travailleureuses agricoles durant les saisons.

      À Alberobello, ce sont des centaines de trulli que nous découvrons ; habitées, louées par des touristes, transformées en boutiques, abritant des cafés...

      On a adoré ce concept d'habitat groupé où l'espace se trouve optimisé et certaines commodités mutualisées. Deux quartiers étonnants et insolites que l'on recommande !

      Le saviez-vous ? ☝🤓
      La partie la plus élevée au sommet du toit est différente sur chaque trullo. Il s'agit de la "signature" du maçon-tailleur de pierres, et aussi un indicateur du statut social du•de la propriétaire.      Read more

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    • TravelerItalia
      2
      Day 62

      Il paese fantasma 👻

      November 30, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

      Ieri ci siamo dati da fare tra studio e lavoro e dopo un bellissimo pranzo al sole ☀️ abbiamo deciso di fermarci un’altra notte lì, tra le colline materane ⛰️

      Ma eccoci ripartiti 🚐
      Subito abbiamo pensato di fare rifornimento acqua ad una piccola fontana 🚰 e mentre stavamo allegramente chiacchierando, all’improvviso vediamo acqua uscire dallo sportellone posteriore ⚠️ Dopo una immediata evacuazione dei poveri cani 🐕 ci siamo resi conto che durante i lavori alla pompa avevamo dimenticato di riavvitare il tappo del serbatoio 😅 Ups.. 🙈
      Ci rimettiamo in viaggio e dopo poco tempo intravediamo i primi calanchi ai lati delle larghe valli della Basilicata 😍 L’insieme dei colori della terra e della vegetazione ci rapisce subito🌲 Infatti domani andremo a scoprirli più da vicino 😋
      Passiamo per Craco, un piccolo villaggio colpito negli anni settanta da una violenta frana 😯 Invece di creare dei terrazzamenti e piantare alberi per bloccare il cedimento, si scelse di erigere muri di cemento, che iniziarono a cedere quasi subito 🌳 forzando la popolazione a lasciare le proprie abitazioni 🏡 Il suo soprannome ‘Il paese sospeso nel tempo’ lo descrive perfettamente ⏱️
      Proseguiamo su strade che serpeggiano tra ulivi e aranci 🍊 e parcheggiamo Tana giusto in tempo per goderci un tramonto spettacolare dietro alle montagne che vediamo in lontananza 🏔️

      PS: Sono ufficialmente due mesi che siamo in viaggio 🥰      Read more

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    • TravelerItaly 2022
      Day 5

      Matera, Italy

      September 1, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

      Up early again for another travel day. We all felt that we spent JUST the right amount of time in Rome and were all ready to head down South for the week. We ate breakfast in our lobby before catching a taxi to Fiumincino. I was so impressed with how nice and new the airport was - so much better than gross JFK. We hopped on a bus to get to our plane and then, 40 minutes later, Bari! Luckily we had no trouble with our rental car (Matt got to relearn how to drive a manual transmission) and an hour later we pulled into the parking lot in Matera. Evie wasn't feeling well after the drive, so Matt and Hannah took a car to the hotel with the luggage while Evie and I walked in - and what a walk! Matera is literally built into the mountain and there are these caves carved all in the city, inluding our hotel - Sextantino - and it was absolutely breathtaking. Our room was in a giant cave - literally built into the cave the girls (and us) loved it so so much. We spent some time exploring our rooms and then went outside for some drinks and cards. Later in the evening we walked down the main street, twisting and turning past the big bascilicata until we reached our dinner destination at La Lopa. The restaurant was also built into a cave and at the bottom of the stairs was a cinema that played Italian movies shot in Matera (lots of bloody, naked guys). Then we walked home and went to bed (in the cave!).Read more

    • TravelerItaly 2022
      Day 6

      Matera, Italy

      September 2, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      First full day in Matera! We woke up a bit early (8:30 so not tooooo early) and the kids were unhappy. They begrudgingly got dressed and we went next door for breakfast which was (of course) in a cave. It was a gorgeous space and there was the most amazing buffet with cheeses, cakes and fruit. After, we met our guide for the morning who gave us the history of Matera and showed us all over the city. The history of Sassi is incredibly interesting and now I feel like I have to go back and re-read Christ Stopped at Eboli. The girls were tired at the end of our walk so we found a gelato place for a snack and then wandered back to our hotel for a little rest. We changed into our walking gear (I had to go all the way back to the car to get my sneakers!) and went next door for pizza which as AH-mazing. Some of the best we have ever had. We had decided earlier in the trip that we were going to hike accross the canyon to go explore the caves (built in neolithic times!), so we walked over and began the 1.6km hike. And hike it was! Straight up and straight down with a crazy bridge suspended very high up over the river. It was super hard but the kids did amazing and didn't complain at all. Once we got to the top of the far canyon there were all of these really fantastic caves to discover and explore built right into the rock. The only downside was the amount of trash all over the place and how crazy steep and dangerous (no railing at all) it was. Matt did not like being up so high, so we went back down fairly soon (the kids were bummed, they could have explored all day). Everyone was tired when we got back so we let the girls watch Star Wars on Matt's computer and we went outside for a drink which was very nice :) After, we all took a shower and played cards before walking down the street for dinner at a cute outdoor place (it was mercifully pretty chilly out!) and had pasta and the most delicous t-bone steak cooked on a hot plate. So good and the kids loved it. Then we sadly ordered the grossest dessset (some sort of weird cannoli thing) we have ever had before heading back to the cave for bed!Read more

    • Sizilien 2019
      Day 9

      Craco - die verlassene Stadt

      May 23, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

      Heute geht die Reise weiter. Nicht ohne einen sehr wertvollen Reisetipp von Gianfranco, den besten Stellplatzbetreiber Italiens.
      Ihr müsst nach Craco - wenn ihr Richtung Napoli fahrt, dann müsst ihr da vorbei. Schlechte, enge Straße dorthin, aber ihr kommt da hin. Die dicken Camper bleiben stecken, aber ihr nicht. Wir haben gedacht, wenn er das sagt, dann wird das schon stimmen. Also, treiben lassen und einfach mal losfahren. Und er hatte recht. Straßen auf eine breite von 2,30 Meter verengt. Schlaglöcher so groß und tief wie mindestens 1 Basektball. Wir haben uns durchgekämpft und dann stand sie da. Auf einen Hügel - von der Natur zum großen Teil bereits eingenommen - Craco die verlassene Stadt in der Basilikata.
      Früher war das ein Militärstützpunkt vom Friedrich II. (der auch das Castel del Monte gebaut hat - ihr erinnert Euch, da waren wir vor ein paar Tagen) und später auch Universitätsstadt. Die weitere Geschichte zu der Stadt wollen wir nicht weiter vertiefen. Interessant ist, dass die Stadt durch eine Serie von Erdrutschen zwischen 1959 und 1972 nahezu zerstört wurde (ausgelöst durch den Bau der Kanalisation). Nach einem Erdbeben in der Region hat man 1980 die Stadt aufgegeben. Im Jahr 2010 wurde Craco vom World Monuments Fund auf die Liste der gefährdeten Kulturdenkmäler aufgenommen.
      Wir wurden heute aufs Neue überrascht, was wir alles „entdecken“ wenn wir uns treiben lassen und nicht alles planen.
      Apropos planen - ganz können wir es dann doch nicht lassen. So sind wir gestern noch Abends im Bus gesessen bei einem gemütlichen Glas Rotwein und haben mit großen Erstaunen festgestellt, dass der Urlaub zu kurz wird. Wir haben ja groß Napoli eingeplant, mit Pompeji, Vesuvbesteigung, Amalfi-Küste und, und, und......
      Nach kurzem Überlegen haben wir beide beschlossen, dass Napoli eine extra Reise wert ist und es viel zu schade wäre, hier nur 2 oder 3 Tage zu verbringen, um die Stadt und die Region zu erkunden. Und wir haben ja auch auf Sizilien noch Einiges vor uns, das uns brennend interessiert. Nach dieser Erkenntnis haben wir beschlossen, Neapel links liegen zu lassen und nur die Amalfi-Küste zu genießen. Deshalb sind wir heute nicht nach Neapel auf einen Zeltplatz, sondern zwischen Amalfi und Vesuv gelandet. Dazu gibt es dann noch später einen Bericht. Wir treiben weiter und genießen die Spontanität außerhalb jeder Hektik und Alltag.
      Zwischen Craco und unseren Zeltplatz gab es noch eine gemütliche Brotzeit am Rande eines Olivenhains. Schon praktisch, so eine kleine Küche mit Kühlschrank 😋      Read more

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    • Bella Italia 2018
      Day 50

      The Ghost Town of Craco

      October 18, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

      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

    • TravelerItalien 2021
      Day 14

      Craco

      August 12, 2021 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

      Nach tollen 2 Tagen in Metaponto ging es heute wieder weiter. Erstes Etappenziel: Craco - eine Geisterstadt mit viel historischem Hintergrund, welche auf Grund von Erdverschiebungen nur noch aus Ruinen besteht und für die Öffentlichkeit gesperrt ist.

      Nicht minder beeindruckend ist die ganze Gegend drumherum - tolle Formationen und Steppen-artige Farben.      Read more

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    • TravelerRenault Roaming
      Day 158

      Ghost town

      April 3, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      Alianello is half way up to Aliano and was abandoned in 1980 after an earthquake (6.9 Richter). The inhabitants moved 1km up the road and built a new town but the buildings still stand.
      Apparently Charles Dickens visited but I cannot discover if he wrote anything about it. Carlo Levi passed through on his way up the mountain but he too did not have much to say about it. I passed through it and also have nothing to say about it.
      Whilst I was nosing around I met a chap born in 1951 who did have quite a lot to say, but mainly about the civil administration and how they reburied Carlo Levi in a fancier tomb in Aliano when they realised what a drawcard it would be for the town. He mentioned that it used to be spelt Gagliano, something which had confused me since there is another town of that name a hundred km away, but CL had pointed out that etymologically it should be Aliano, so that is how it appears now. He was most enthusiastic about the enormous debt they owe the writer.
      Another interesting thing he said was that the Sauro river which converges with the Agri in the wide valley underneath used to be navigable and the people were able to take a ferry down to a larger town for work. That ended when the river was dammed. I tried to put dates to this, but could not understand his dialect: on the face of it the river must have begun to dry up long before the construction work to tally with what others have written.      Read more

    • TravelerRenault Roaming
      Day 158

      Exile

      April 3, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      The fascists banished various non-believers, including some business rivals, to this part of Italy Basilicata. Amongst them was the writer Carlo Levi, imprisoned here between 1935 and ’36.
      It is hard to comprehend the unmitigated poverty of the peasant life he found. At one point the region was was an extremely prosperous trading centre on the Mediterranean circuit, but this all changed when the Spanish and Lombards arrived. They taxed everyone so harshly that many of the prosperous left, leaving the poor behind with nothing to do but rely on the produce of the land. Living at 850m with their fields on the plain almost vertically below, meant that they could spend 4hours a day commuting and at the end of it the clay soil was not very fertile: absentee governments which forced the larger estates to grow wheat soon found that the yield was insufficient to pay taxes. Only olives grow. The peasants endured even through the endemic malaria which was only eradicated during the 1980's. Child mortality was 50% and survivors were afflicted by the disease and malnourishment so they had little to live for. But they endured enough to give CL the title of his book, "Christ stopped at Eboli", which was a popular refrain to explain their semi-pagan, unpromising lives.
      Since he had a medical degree, CL was not allowed to read and paint as he would have liked, but was coerced into treating whatever he could with what little pharmaceuticals were around. For this as much as for publicising their plight, he earned their eternal gratitude and the enmity of those 'middle classes' (priests, doctors, government officials,) who feasted on the misery of the poor.
      Now, perhaps thanks to the literati who make the pilgrimage, the town is being restored and tarted up. The car allows residents to escape and the small streets all have an Ape 50 parked in them.
      As you leave the village you pass the “Fossa del Carabiniere” (policeman’s grave) because once some bandits threw a drunk Carabiniere down the steep slope.      Read more

    • TravelerRenault Roaming
      1
      Day 159

      Quantum of Solace

      April 4, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

      Craco, founded in the 8th century sits on a cliff 400 meters off of the ground.
      Once it was important, confirmed by a Norman Tower from 1040, a convent from 1630, the ruins of St Nicholas’ church and bloated Angevin tax registers.
      After surviving the black plague, brigands and rapacious absentee landlords for more than 1,400 years, a landslide finally forced residents from Craco in 1991.
      10 Euros will get you a guided walk through the centre but having walked through one abandoned village already I couldn't see the point of another stroll through the streets. Numerous signs made it clear that this was a special tourist site, where every photo belongs to the administration and unauthorised shots like all of mine forbidden by the mayor.
      The Quantum of Solace, (partly filmed here,) is that it has become a popular film set. Several scenes from "Christ Stopped at Eboli" (directed by Francesco Rosi) were actually shot here in 1979. Other films include "King David" with Richard Gere, "Ninfa Plebea" by Lina Werthmuller, and the last scene of The Passion by Mel Gibson.
      The columns of a destroyed temple will surely engage fervent speculation by archaeologists in a few hundred years. Who were the Gods worshipped here, where only traces of 20thC transport can be found?      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Stigliano

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