Valerie Fortney-Schneider is a freelance writer with years of experience in the travel industry, and a history degree, who returned to her roots and created the company, My Bella Basilicata. She guides travelers through the region and is also the woman to go to for genealogy research. Guests rave about the memorable vacations she creates for them, where they can go beyond finding birth or death records, to the villages where their ancestors were from, walk the streets and talk to the natives, sometimes find the houses where their grandparents lived and even distant relatives. Her writing showcases her passion for Basilicata, in various publications and websites such as International Living.
I’m so grateful she’s joined in to give her advice for Golden Days in the Dolomiti Lucane towns of Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa.
These are two towns wedged in the rocky peaks of the “Little Dolomites” of Basilicata. It’s a great place for adventure-lovers to enjoy outdoors activities…
Castelmezzano means “Middle castle,” a Norman settlement between the castles of Pietrapertosa and Brindisi Montagna. Pietrapertosa is the highest town in the region and was settled by Arabs who built a crowded network of streets and houses in the rocks, called the Arabata quarter. The elevation gives gorgeous views and the vast forests of the Gallipoli-Cognato National Park offer a wealth of trails for hikers. Both are beautiful and offer a different kind of atmosphere than most medieval hill towns.
These two towns look at each other across a deep ravine and remained isolated for centuries, until they linked together by way of a zipline. The High-wire Volo dell’Angelo (Via Maestri del Lavoro 19, 3319340456) is a thrilling flight that is as close to free flying as I’m ever going to get, an adrenaline rush that is also oddly calming as you glide over spectacular scenery with birds and clouds above you, and gorgeous countryside below.
If you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, there is a nice hiking trail that connects the towns called the Sette Pietre (7 stones) that is studded with 7 stone sculptures and takes you down to the ravine and back up the other side. Plan about 1.5 to 2 hours each way, walking at a moderate pace.
In Pietrapertosa, walk through the lanes of the Arabata and to the ruins of the castle. You”re almost guaranteed to see eagles and hawks overhead. In Castelmezzano, stroll all the way through the tangle of streets and up to where the castle once sat on the crest. You’ll see the footholds carved in the rocks that in days gone by, were handy for residents to scramble up for better surveillance over possible invaders. At the overlook you can see for miles – as far as the Ionian Sea on a clear day!
These towns are both magical at night with the suffused light and the rock formations, and provide excellent star-gazing! With almost no light pollution and the high elevation, you can see a dazzling array of stars.
In Pietrapertosa the Orsa Minore is a good gathering spot with a terrace, where you can enjoy a glass of wine, a gelato, or a cappuccino and cornetto, sort of the “one stop shop” kind of welcoming bar. It is also the reception for the Albergo diffuso Costellazioni…
In Castelmezzano there are two bars on the main street through town where you can rub elbows with the locals and enjoy their warm welcomes and friendly attention. You’re likely to be taken by the hand by somebody during your stay and invited home for a coffee or wine! It’s that kind of a town!
In Castelmezzano’s historic center is the delectable restaurant Al Becco della Civetta, with a panoramic patio out back that looks at the horseshoe shape of the town with the peaks behind it. They use seasonal ingredients and regional recipes and give them a bit of flair. Order anything with the locally-loved cardoncelli mushrooms, the locally-produced cheese, caciocavallo podolico, and the homemade cavatelli with crispy-fried peppers (called peperoni cruschi).
Outside town is an agriturismo called Grotta della Eremita where you can enjoy their free-range meats, like pork cooked in aglianico wine or their farm-raised rabbit with wild fennel. (My mouth is watering thinking about it!)
In Pietrapertosa, La Locanda di Pietra is something special with its rustic rooms and rural simplicity (which means good food!) The handmade pasta with truffles and pecorino is incredible, as is the savory grilled podolico tagliata steak.
Down below town is a down-home agriturismo, I Sapori del Parco, with a fixed price super-abundant meal of home-grown and home-cooked local dishes that will leave you stuffed and satisfied (and wanting to hike those trails to work off the meal!)
Pietrapertosa has an albergo diffuso, a fabulous concept where suites are scattered around the village in renovated buildings. This one is whimsically done and called Le Costellazioni, subtitled “Sulla Riva del cielo” for grander effect (on the edge of heaven). The suites are cozy and you get to feel like you’re living like a local for a night or two.
In Castelmezzano, the nicely outfitted Locanda Castromediano(Via Michele Volini, 50, 85010 Castelmezzano PZ, Italy) is easy to find and comfortable and rooms look out at the arched outline of town and the Dolomiti Lucane mountains.
Spring is a beautiful time to visit with wildflowers in the meadows and hills. The Volo dell’Angelo opens the first of May.
Summer brings festivals and events to enjoy, and the nights are cool despite the heat of the day. A special festival in Pietrapertosa is the Arab Nights (called Sulle Tracce degli Arabi) where they pay homage to their Arab roots with a taste of the orient in food, dance and pyrotechnics.
Autumn brings harvest festivals and woodland goodies like mushrooms, truffles and chestnuts…
Grazie Mille, Valerie! Check out her website My Bella Basilicata for guidance on visiting this stunning region!
P.S. — I’m grateful to report I visited these villages in May-with a warm welcome from Pietrapertosa’s Mayor Pasquale Stasi and Antonella Amico, a darling signorina who is a native of Castelmezzano and runs the Volo del’Angelo there…
It was a joy to climb around the ruins of the Castelmezzano castle and the old tower/fortress in Pietrapertosa…
With Vice-Mayor Rocco joining in…
Church bells, Sunset, Fantastic Views all around…another Paradise in Italy discovered…
These villages are part of a group called I Borghi Piu Belli d’Italia–The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy–CLICK FOR MORE INFO to discover these treasures…
