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Tricarico Trëcàrëchë (Neapolitan) | |
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| Comune di Tricarico | |
 Norman tower and Monastery of Santa Chiara | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Tricarico  | |
  Tricarico Location of Tricarico in Italy Show map of Italy Tricarico Tricarico (Basilicata) Show map of Basilicata | |
| Coordinates:40°37′N16°9′E / 40.617°N 16.150°E /40.617; 16.150 | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Basilicata |
| Province | Matera (MT) |
| Frazioni | Calle |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Vincenzo Carbone |
| Area | |
• Total | 178.16 km2 (68.79 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 698 m (2,290 ft) |
| Population (March 2009)[2] | |
• Total | 5,920 |
| • Density | 33/km2 (86/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Tricaricési |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 75019 |
| Dialing code | 0835 |
| Patron saint | St. Potitus |
| Saint day | 14 January |
| Website | Official website |
Tricarico (Lucano:TrëcàrëchëIPA:[trəˈkæːrəkə];Greek:Triakrikon)[citation needed] is a town andcomune in theprovince of Matera,Basilicata,southern Italy.
It is home to one of the best preserved medieval historical centres inLucania.
The origin of the name Tricarico is unknown. It might derive from theGreektreis ("three") andcara (head/skull in Hellenistic-era Greek: η κάρα, τό κάρα, η κάρη). That is "having three heads". According to a slightly different hypothesis, it could have originally beenTriacricon, deriving from theGreek words tria/treis andacron/acra, which during Antiquity and Early Middle Ages meant both an "apex/summit", and a "citadel", withTriacricon thus meaning a city made by connecting "three citadels". These threeacra/citadels were no other than the site of the 9th cArabic castle ofSaracena in the north, the site of a 9th-10th cByzantineRocca fortificata in the south,improved during the 11th-12th c by theNormans, and then, during the 13th c, by theHohenstaufen, and also the site of the14th cPalazzo Ducale in the middle. Probably the three sites were simultaneously fortified even before the successiveoccupations.
Although of ancient origin, the first news documented about the town dates to 849, when it was aLombard county included in thegastaldate ofSalerno. Later (9th century - late 10th century) it was anArabic stronghold. The terrace gardens, of Arabic origin, are still in use today. In 968 Tricarico was conquered by theByzantine Empire, and then, in 1048, it became aNorman fortified town.
In the 15th century, there was aJewish community.
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The roads and alleys of the historical center reflect the Arabic quarters of the Ràbata and the Saracena.
Sights in the town include:
The archaeological area of Civita is situated outside the city. It includes aRoman fortified center that extends for approximately 50 hectares (120 acres) and consists of stone buildings with squared blocks, fortified with monumental doors. In the interior, some rooms have mosaic pavements over 2,500 years old.
Also present is theCerra del Cedro archaeological site, inhabited from as early as the 6th century to the 3rd century BC.
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