Pescopagano Among Rocky Cliffs, History and Nature

Pescopagano lies on a steep rocky cliff above the entire Ofanto Valley. Around the town, the landscape combines lush greenery with rocky ridges, barren slopes and fragrant broom. Bosco Le Rose covers an area of 610 hectares. This combination of rocky scenery, natural surroundings and historic buildings makes Pescopagano appealing to travelers who want to experience culture and landscape in a single stay.

Historic Traces in the Center

The historic center of Pescopagano includes neoclassical aristocratic palaces built between the 18th and 19th centuries. Palazzo Pascale was built on the site of an earlier medieval building complex. The Torre dell’Orologio was built on the former town gate, Porta Sibilla; in a niche, it displays a stone bust of the two-faced Janus, an ancient mythological deity.

The ruins of Chiesa Madre Santa Maria Assunta include a Byzantine inscription dating from the 7th century. The parish museum of sacred art contains wooden and marble sculptures, paintings and religious vestments. An inscription on the gable of Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista indicates that it was built around the year 1000, approximately 970. Only a few remains of the former fortress of Castello di Pescopagano have survived.

Sacred Places and Living Traditions

The Normans founded Abbazia di San Lorenzo in Tufara around the year 1000; today, only a few ruins remain. Santuario di Montemauro is located at an altitude of around 1,000 meters on the summit of Monte Mauro.

Every Sunday in May through August 15 inclusive, the faithful walk to Santuario di Montemauro to honor the Virgin Mary. The traditional Volo dell’Angelo is a performance shaped by folklore and faith during the celebrations honoring Pescopagano’s patron saint, San Francesco Di Paola. La Passata is an old custom intended to prevent inguinal hernias in children. During this custom, on the Feast of the Annunciation, as the bells ring, male children from the community are led through an arch made from a blackberry branch stripped of its leaves and thorns.

A Culinary Highlight

Pescopagano hosts a festival featuring Podolica beef and cheese. When selecting a hotel in Pescopagano, you can shape your trip around specific interests: the architecture of the historic center, the sacred sites, the landscapes around Bosco Le Rose or the festival featuring Podolica beef and cheese. This keeps your accommodation choice part of an individual travel plan without reducing the town to a single theme.

More destinations for your travel planning: Lavello, San Giorgio, Gallicchio, Nemoli, Trecchina, Acerenza, Satriano Di Lucania, Sarnelli.

For the higher-level travel overview: Potenza.