Basilicata Region
The Territory
Provinces of Basilicata

Italian Regions


Population and Economy

History: Antiquity
The Lucani established a strong military state and fought against the inhabitants of Apulia for long centuries. After being allied to the Romans, they sided with Hannibal in the Punic wars. Under the Empire the region was called Bruttium, then between 1932 and 1945 was renamed Lucania, to become finally "Basilicata" under the Republic.
The feudal model and the condition of acute isolation has unfortunately remained unchanged for centuries, with an economy based on non-intensive agriculture, open fields, typical of mountain areas, and pastures linked to transhumance.
The "silent revolution" of emigration reduced the already small communities, keeping the economy poor and backward, and depriving domestic industry of any value. The situation did not change in the fascist era, since the political vision of fascism wanted an agricultural south (maintaining the territory in the hands of large land-owners) and an industrial north (with a wealthy bourgeoisie assisted by the State).
History: the Modern Age
After the Second World War the birth of the Republican State and the social struggles for the land led to a different political context with important new policies in various areas, such as:
- Environmental: hydrogeological works on the river beds, reforestation of hills and mountains; elimination of malaria in the plains; irrigation networks.
- Socio-economic: land reform, retraining of agricultural labourers, higher levels of education.
- Urban planning: setting up industrial hubs especially in the chemical industry.
The emergence of new socio-economic realities started to reverse the age-old subordination of the region, pursuing a territorial design based on "development lines": to equip the region with a longitudinal infrastructure, following the valleys of five rivers from the more developed coast into the inner mountains.
The challenge was to create a new urban structure in the valleys able to stand the pace of the "post-industrial" era in a partly still feudal economic framework. The State Road Basentana was built, connecting Potenza and the Salerno-Reggio Calabria to Metaponto and to State road 106 Taranto-Sibari, and along the new roads a modern industrial area especially in the chemical sector started to develop. This new situation, however, has further marginalized the small communities of inner Basilicata.
What to see
- The Unesco World Heritage site of Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera
- The Norman Tower of San Mauro Forte.