My grandfather came to America in the early part of the 20th Century after serving in the Italian Army. As a boy he lived in Castelmezzano, a village that looks like it's suspended from cliffs....and indeed it is. He tended goats.
Castelmezzano is in the province of Basilica,and it's waaaaaay down the boot and for many years had been off the beaten path. Our family friend, Joe Campagna, had roots in this area, too, and was able to give us both directions and courage to go there. So we rented a Hertz car in Potenza (lots of fun with our limited language skills; thank God for online reservations!), the nearest city about 45 minutes away, and off we went. Little did we or Joe know that Castelmezzano is no longer hidden from the general path. The Italian government is trying to make southern Italy more accessible. There is now a tunnel where winding roads use to be, well marked signs, paved roads and even bus service....all fairly new in the life of Castelmezzano. The weirdest thing about the area is that it now boasts a zip line from the town to another town over on the next mountain. You can don a rubber suit, get attached to a zip line and fly across the valley just like Superman. I was afraid that with my girth the line would act as a bungy cord and I would go sailing and bouncing across the valley.......NO ZIP LINE FOR ME!
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| Here's the sign at the entrance to Castelmezzano from the parking lot welcoming tourists. |
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| The patron saint of the town, Padre Pio, at the top of the staircase into the town. |
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| A typical winding path up the side of the hill to the homes and shops of Castelmezzano. |
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| The valley and where some brave soul can take the zip line across to the town across the way. |
The town is really trying to promote tourism, but they are very suspicious when tourists show up. After all, for years no one came or left the area. The younger folks seem willing to talk, but the older ones, especially the women, just look like you're there to collect the rent. Castelmezzano now boasts of two souvenir shops with all sorts of post cards, ash trays, plagues and what-nots to carry home. The streets are newly paved and have pictures of the area set into the pavement. There's a welcome sign for visitors. The church plays a wonderful little recorded tune sung by children that can be heard all over the village at noon every day. Houses now have signs in front of them if anyone who lived there has distinguished himself anywhere in the world. There's plenty of parking and a couple of restaurants to serve you.
The church in Castelmezzano is a very significant part of daily life. Almost every woman who passed the church crossed herself and kissed her hands in tribute. The church has some large beautiful paintings in it, is bright with sunlight and very well maintained. It was obvious that this is the center of life for the village.
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| Like all the churches we have visited in Italy, there are movable pews. The one in Castelmezzano was no different. |
We didn't spend the night in Castelmezzano because one of the things they don't have yet is computer access to their hotel. We didn't know if we could get a room and decided that since this was so far from Florence we better make sure we had a place to rest our heads at night. So Ken made a reservation at an agritourismo outside the town of Trivigno, across the valley from Castelmezzano. Agritourismi are places way out in the country, nominally working farms, that act as B&B's. The one he found was fabulous. Run by Peppino and Maria Giovanna, our B&B not only served us breakfast, but dinner, too. What a dinner it was! Peppino, a Frenchman, could not have been more welcoming with both graciousness and hand kissing (mine, not Ken's), and Maria Giovanna (Italian) making us the best decaf cappuccino and serving us little sandwich cookies. The place was on the top of a hill with wonderful views. Being high up in the craggy mountains meant sweaters and coats again, something we didn't need in Florence where the weather has finally shown signs of Spring.
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| Maria Giovanna, Theresa, and Peppino on their veranda |
Ken climbed up to the old Norman fort above the town and took some photos overlooking it. Yes, as remote as this town is, the Normans got there, as well as the Saracens, the Turks, the Spanish, and the French, over the course of the thousand years or so the town has existed. The story is that the town was put there up high to be inaccessible to these invaders, but apparently to no avail. Even the Wrights found it.
After we left Castelmezzano we headed for Matera and Bari. We know it's taking a long time for us to give you the particulars of this trip south, but bear with us. We'll get to the rest and even give you some pictures of the coast going back to Florence. Then......it's Holy Week and all the grandeur one Italian city can muster.
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