The region has a population of 529,897 in an area of 10,073.32 km2 (3,889.33 sq mi).[2][1] The regional capital isPotenza. The region comprises two provinces: Potenza and Matera.[9][10] Its inhabitants are generally known as Lucanians (Italian:lucani), and to a lesser extent asbasilicatesi or by other very rare terms.[11]
During the ancientGreek andRoman eras, Basilicata was known asLucania. This was possibly derived fromleukos (Greek: λευκός), meaning "white", fromlykos (Greek: λύκος), meaning "wolf", or from Latinlūcus, meaning "sacred wood".[14] More probably, the name Lucania derived, like the forename (praenomen)Lucius, from theLatin wordLux (gen.lucis), meaning "light" (fromPIE*leuk-, "brightness", also the root of the Latin verblucere, "to shine"), which is acognate of the nameLucas. Another proposed etymology is a derivation from theEtruscan wordLauchum (orLauchme), meaning "king", which passed into Latin asLucumo.[15]
Basilicata covers an extensive part of the southernApennine Mountains, between theOfanto river in the north and thePollino massif in the south. It is bordered on the east by a large part of theBradano river depression, which is traversed by numerous streams and declines to the southeastern coastal plains on theIonian Sea. The region also has a short coastline to the southwest on theTyrrhenian Sea side of the peninsula.
Geological features of the region include the volcanic formations ofMonte Vulture, and the seismic faults in theMelfi andPotenza areas in the north, and around Pollino in the south. Much of the region was devastated in the1857 Basilicata earthquake. More recently, the1980 Irpinia earthquake destroyed many towns in the northwest of the region.
The mountainous terrain combined with weak rock and soil types makeslandslides prevalent. The lithological structure of the substratum and its chaotic tectonic deformation predispose the slope to landslides, and this problem is compounded by the lack of forested land. In common with many another Mediterranean region, Basilicata was once rich in forests, but they were largely felled and made barren during the time of Roman rule.
The variable climate is influenced by three coastlines (Adriatic, Ionian and Tyrrhenian) and the complexity of the region's physical features. In general, the climate iscontinental in the mountains andMediterranean along the coasts.
The first known stable market center of theApennine culture on the sea, consisting of huts on the promontory ofCapo la Timpa [it], near toMaratea, dates to theBronze Age. The first indigenousIron Age communities lived in large villages in plateaus located at the borders of the plains and the rivers, in places fitting their breeding and agricultural activities. Such settlements include that ofTursi, known at the time as Anglona, located between the fertile valleys ofAgri andSinni, ofSiris and, on the coast of theIonian Sea, of Incoronata-San Teodoro. The first presence of Greek colonists, coming fromthe Greek islands andAnatolia, date from the late eighth century BC.
There are virtually no traces of survival of the 11th–8th century BC archaeological sites of the settlements (aside from a necropolis atCastelluccio on the coast of theTyrrhenian Sea): this was perhaps caused by the increasing presence of Greek colonies, which changed the balance of the trades.
Starting from the late eighth century BC, the Greeks established a settlement first atSiris, founded by fugitives fromColophon. Then with the foundation ofMetaponto fromAchaean colonists, they started the conquest of the whole Ionian coast. There were also indigenousOenotrian foundations on the coast, which exploited the nearby presence of Greek settlements, such asVelia andPyxous, for their maritime trades. The region became one of the centers ofMagna Graecia, with the foundation along its coasts of many Greek city-states (póleis).
The first contacts between the Lucanians and theRomans date from the latter half of the fourth century BC. After the conquest ofTaranto in 272, Roman rule was extended to the whole region: theAppian Way reachedBrindisi and the colonies of Potentia (modernPotenza) andGrumentum were founded.
After the fall of theWestern Roman Empire in 476, Basilicata fell to Germanic rule, which ended in the mid-6th century when theByzantinesreconquered it from theOstrogoths between 536 and 552 during the apocalyptic Byzantine-Gothic war under the leadership of Byzantine generals Belisarius and Narses. The region, deeply Christianized since as early as the 5th century, became part of theLombardDuchy of Benevento founded by the invading Lombards between 571 and 590.
In the following centuries,Saracen raids led part of the population to move from the plain and coastal settlements to more protected centers located on hills. The towns ofTricarico andTursi were under Muslim rule for a short period: later the "Saracen" population would be expelled.[16] The region was conquered once more for Byzantium from the Saracens and the Lombards in the late 9th century, with the campaigns ofNikephoros Phokas the Elder and his successors, and became part of the theme ofLongobardia. In 968 thetheme ofLucania was established, with the capital at Tursikon (Tursi).
The region came under the dominion of theHouse of Bourbon in 1735. Basilicata autonomously declared its annexation to theKingdom of Italy on August 18, 1860, with the Potenza insurrection. It was during this period that the state confiscated and sold off vast tracts of Basilicata's territory formerly owned by theCatholic Church. As the new owners were a handful of wealthy aristocratic families, the average citizen did not see any immediate economic and social improvements after unification, and poverty continued unabated.
This gave rise to the phenomenon ofbrigandage, which actually turned into a civil war in the form of a guerrilla fighting, whereby the Bourbon in exile and the Church encouraged the peasants to rise up against theKingdom of Italy. This strong opposition movement continued for many years. The revolt in Basilicata was led byCarmine Crocco, who was the most important chief in the region and the most impressive band leader in southern Italy.[17]
It was only really afterWorld War II that things slowly began to improve thanks to land reform. In 1952, the inhabitants of theSassi di Matera were rehoused by the state, but many of Basilicata's population had emigrated or were in the process of emigrating, which led to a demographic crisis from which it is still recovering.
As of 2025, Basilicata has a population of 529,897, of whom 49.6% are male and 50.4% are female. Minors make up 13.6% of the population, and seniors make up 25.9%, compared to the Italian average of 14.9% and 24.7% respectively.[2]
Although Basilicata has never had a large population, there have nevertheless been quite considerable fluctuations in the demographic pattern of the region. In 1881, there were 539,258 inhabitants but by 1911 the population had decreased by 11% to 485,911, mainly as a result of emigration overseas. There was a slow increase in the population until World War II, after which there was a resurgence of emigration to other countries in Europe, which continued until 1971 and the start of another period of steady increase until the 1980s at 610,000 inhabitants. Since the 1990s the population has been declining again, as a result of low birth rates and high emigration, especially towards northern Italy, the UK, Germany and Switzerland.[20]
The population density is very low compared to that of Italy as a whole: With 52.6 inhabitants per km2 compared to the nationwide density of 195.1, it is the 2nd-least densely populated region of Italy after theAosta Valley.[21]
Religion, particularly Roman Catholicism still maintains a solid role in the culture and everyday lives of people in Basilicata. Italian National Statistical Institute (ISTAT) in 2018 found that 24.9% of the population went weekly to church, synagogue, mosque, temple or other place of worship, with the share of practicing believers higher in Basilicata (27.9%)[citation needed]
As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 35,637, equal to 6.7% of the population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities areRomanians (6,618),Swiss (3,110),Albanians (3,083),Germans (2,802) andMoroccans (1,859).[22]
Cultivation consists mainly of sowables (especially wheat), which represent 46% of the total land. Potatoes and maize are produced in the mountain areas. Olives and wine production is relatively small with about 31,000 hectares (77,000 acres) under cultivation.[23] The terrain is mountainous and hilly with poor transportation routes that hinders harvesting. Most oils are sold unbranded and only 3% is exported. The main olive cultivars are Ogliarola del Vulture, Ogliarola del Bradano, Majatica di Ferrandina and Farasana with only Ogliarola del Vulture having theProtected Designation of Origin (PDO).[24] Other varieties are the Arnasca, Ascolana, Augellina, Cellina,Frantoio,Leccino, Majatica, Nostrale, Ogliarola (Ogliarola Barese),Palmarola or Fasolina, Rapolese di Lavello, and Sargano (Sargano di Fermo and Sargano di San Benedetto).[25]
Among industrial activities, the manufacturing sector contributes to the gross value added of the secondary sector with 64% of the total, while the building sector contributes 24%. Within the services sector, the main activities in terms of gross value added are business activities, distributive trade, education and public administration. In the last few years, new productive sectors have developed: manufacturing, automotive, and especiallyoil extraction. In 2009,Eni employed 230 people in this area (of whom over 50% were from Basilicata), and about 1,800 were employed in activities directly generated by Eni's operations, distributed in 80 companies of which over 50% were from Basilicata.[26] The region produced about 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d), meeting 11 percent of Italy's domestic oil demand.[27]
Thegross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 12.6 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 0.7% of Italy's economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 22,200 euros or 74% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 95% of the EU average.[29]
The unemployment rate stood at 8.6% in 2020, the lowest rate inSouth Italy.[30]
Difficult accessibility and lack of extended promotion make Basilicata one of the most remote and least visited regions of Italy. However, tourism is slowly growing since the early 2000s.Matera, once dubbed "national disgrace" by prime ministerAlcide De Gasperi who urged to take strict development measures due to its extreme poverty,[31] is now Basilicata's main attraction and has gained fame worldwide for its historical center, theSassi, designated in 1993 as aUNESCO World Heritage Site.[32] In 2019, Matera was designated as theEuropean Capital of Culture.[33]
Basilicata hosts a series of religious structures. TheAbbey of Santissima Trinità, Venosa, is one of the most representative, which includes marks of Roman, early Christian, Romanesque, Lombard and Norman origin. It was chosen by Robert Guiscard as theHauteville family's burial (and he himself will be later buried there too).[37] Other relevant religious buildings are:
Of many castles that existed in the region, mostly isolated towers and ruins have survived. TheMelfi castle is perhaps the most iconic, where important events from the Middle Age took place, such as the five councils between the Normans and the Catholic Church and theconstitutions of Melfi promulgated by Frederick II. The Malconsiglio castle,Miglionico, hosted theconspiracy of the Barons againstFerrante of Aragon.Among the other best preserved castles of the region are:
Basilicata has many small and picturesque villages, nine of them have been selected byI Borghi più belli d'Italia (English:The most beautiful Villages of Italy),[38] a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest,[39] that was founded on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities.[40]
However, they have to face depopulation problems, while others such asCraco andCampomaggiore saw their old sites abandoned due to natural disasters. Nonetheless, filmmakers, writers and musicians have contributed to give a boost to the rebirth of Craco, making it one of the most popularghost towns in the world.[41]
Cave paintings were found in the Tuppo dei Sassi site (or Ranaldi shelter, after its discoverer Francesco Ranaldi, archaeologist and museum director), a prehistoric site in theFiliano territory, considered the oldest artistic trace in Basilicata. During theGreek colonisation era, artists like thePisticci Painter and theAmykos Painter operated in the area ofMetaponto around the 5th century BC. Metaponto is one of the largest and earliest Greek centres of vase painting in Italy;[42] theLucanian vase painting began around 430 BC, with the works of the Pisticci Painter. In theArmento area theKritonios Crown and theArmento Rider were found, now exposed inMunich andLondon respectively.
Although Basilicata hosted classical composers such asCarlo Gesualdo andEgidio Romualdo Duni, the region is primarily identified in popular music, which reflects the humble living conditions of its inhabitants. Thearpa viggianese (commonly known asarpicedda) is a typical harp fromViggiano of average size, with a thin and light structure that makes it easier to carry; it was the distinctive instrument ofstreet musicians from theVal d'Agri area in the past centuries, who wandered around the world and many of whom were admitted tosymphony orchestras. Today, Viggiano is remembered as the "City of Harp and Music".[46] Other traditional instruments arecupa cupa,zampogna andciaramella.
During the emigration wave of the late 19th century, some composers gained recognition inNorth America:Leonardo De Lorenzo, flautist of several Americanphilharmonic orchestras and professor at theEastman School of Music, regarded as one of the most eminent flute pedagogues of the 1900s;Carlo Curti, who helped to popularize the mandolin in the United States and Mexico, and founder of theOrquestra Típica Mexicana, considered the "predecessor of theMariachi bands".[47]Comedy duoLyons and Yosco became popular for their million-sellingragtime piece "Spaghetti Rag".[48]
The local cuisine is mostly based onpork andsheep meat,legumes,cereals,vegetables andtubers. It is commonly referred to ascucina povera (Italian for 'cuisine of the poor'), deeply anchored in peasant traditions. Bread crumb is considered a poor-man's cheese substitute, sprinkled over pasta dishes and used as a seasoning for meat and vegetables.Horseradish is often used as a spice and condiment, which is referred to as "poor man's truffle".[53] Thepeperone crusco (PAT) is a specialty of the regional cuisine, sometimes labeled as "the red gold of Basilicata".[54] It is the dried form of thepeperone di Senise (PGI), one of the most popular Italian pepper varieties.[55] Traditional recipes include pasta dishes likepasta con i peperoni cruschi andtumact me tulez, and main courses such asrafanata,acquasale.Pastizz andfalagone are commonstreet foods.
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