Italy Panorama

The unique style of Pisticci

Pisticci
Matera Province, Basilicata
17,800 Inhabitants, 250 Meter Altitude

Don’t you love it when you “discover” a place that feels vibrant, maintains its traditions, and boasts beautiful scenery and distinctive architecture? That is what you will find when you visit Pisticci, in southern Basilicata. What is often described as a “tiny town” is actually a pretty hopping place of proud Pisticcesi. Stretching along a ridge, it takes in some pretty impressive views of blunt-topped mesas, cultivated valleys, eroded ravines, and distant mountains. The eastern side slopes down to the plains at the Ionian coast.

Pisticci extends a lengthy distance, unfolding across three hills and so it feels larger than perhaps it would if it were all clumped up together. The white-washed buildings practically sparkle in the sunlight. You can stroll the bustling Corso Regina Margherita along with the locals, peering into the windows of elegant-looking shops and stopping for an espresso in one of the classy cafes. The pedestrian street is worn so smooth in some areas that it gleams as if it is wet, and it is clearly the popular passeggiata point.

Castello above the retaining wall

The town suffered a landslide in 1688 that carried away nearly half of the settlement. Not to be deterred, an arched retaining wall was built to shore it up, and a new neighborhood was constructed below the partially-ruined castle. A short climb up the narrow streets will lead you to the cathedral, fashioned from stolid stone which contrasted with the whiteness that makes up most of Pisticci. From the panoramic piazza in front of the Romanesque church you will gaze up on the remains of the Norman castello, and look down upon that new rione, dubbed the Dirupa district (meaning “precipice”). The ordered rows of sugar-cube houses all lined up like they are embracing, with their low-peaked rooflines distinguishing one house from the next.

And for those that are amaro fans, Pisticci is the home of Amaro Lucano, their factory is located on the plains east of the town.