Calvello: Churches, Ceramics and Monte Volturino

Churches, Castle and Ceramics

Santa Maria del Piano is a 12th-century church. Its façade features a remarkable Romanesque portal; another is located on the left aisle. Santa Maria del Piano also preserves a Byzantine-influenced wooden statue of the Madonna and Child, believed to date from the 12th century.

The Chiesa Madre preserves a 17th-century painting of the young John the Baptist from the Neapolitan school. Santa Maria degli Angeli preserves five frescoes dated to 1616 and signed by Girolamo Todisco.

The Castello di Calvello is a medieval structure built on the remains of a Lombard fortress from the 8th century. The Museo Multimediale della Ceramica is located in the west wing. At the southern entrance to Calvello, the medieval Ponte di Sant’Antuono spans the La Terra stream with a single flattened arch.

Calvello’s ceramic production is characterized by the colors green and yellow, as well as by designs inspired by local products. At the Museo Multimediale della Ceramica, visitors can shape small vases, plates, jugs and other objects on the potter’s wheel under the guidance of local Faenzari, and decorate them in the traditional Calvello style.

The Centro Didattico Energia e Territorio presents a photo exhibition about oil in Basilicata from 1949 to 2009.

Monte Volturino and Cycling Route

Calvello is located in the Parco Nazionale dell’Appennino Lucano Val d’Agri Lagonegrese. From Monte Volturino, the view extends across the Basento and Agri valleys almost as far as the Ionian Sea.

The Santuario di Maria Santissima del Monte Saraceno stands on a rocky outcrop at an altitude of 1,320 meters on the slopes of Monte Volturino. From there, you can overlook the valley opening from Monte di Viggiano to Caperrino, with dense forests, clearings and the Piesco River. The sanctuary preserves the image of the Madonna del Monte Saraceno in a wooden urn called a “caggia”.

The sanctuary is approximately eight kilometers from Calvello’s town center and can be reached via a steep road leading up the mountainside. The approximate distance and the described road route are therefore important points for your planning.

The Calvello–Villa d’Agri section of the Ciclovia Meridiana begins in Calvello and is 28.1 km long. The Calvello–Villa d’Agri cycling route leads from the town center to Monte Volturino, passes through Marsicovetere and ends in Villa d’Agri. Near Monte Volturino, it crosses clearings where horses and Podolian cattle graze.

Calvello is part of the Monte Volturino ski area.

Festivals and Local Specialty

The festival of the Madonna del Monte Saraceno takes place on the second Sunday in May and on September 8 and 9. During the Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot on January 17, a religious rite takes place in the church dedicated to him: A log brought by the families is set alight as a fire in the small square in front of the church. The fire and the animals are then blessed.

Pastatella is a sweet ravioli-shaped pastry filled with chopped chestnuts mixed with chocolate or sanguinaccio and dusted with powdered sugar.

Finding Your Way Through the Alleys

Calvello has stone houses and alleys accessible only on foot. If you would like to explore these parts of the town, you should plan a walking tour.

Further destinations for your travel planning: Lagopesole, Sant'arcangelo, Pietrapertosa, Lagonegro, San Severino Lucano, Missanello, San Chirico Raparo and Avigliano.

To the higher-level travel overview: Potenza.