Craco, ghost town. There are thousands of visitors who visit Craco every year, the town in the province of Matera who became a ghost after a disastrous landslide of 1963. To protect its integrity, the ocher -colored village visits groups and accompanied, for safety reasons, by a guide.
Magic scenario, Craco is much loved by the cinematographic world how to forget, in fact, the re -enactment of the ancient Palestine in “The Gospel according to Matteo” by Pier Paolo Pasolini or “The Passion” of Mel Gibson and still the images shot of “Christ has stopped in Eboli” by Francesco Rosi, “King David” by Bruce Beresford or the most recent ones of “Agent 007 – quantum of sole” Marc Forster or “Basilicata Coat to Coast” with Rocco Papaleo.
A natural set, therefore, which made great directors fascinated by medieval architecture fall in love. Craco was an important strategic military center and during the Norman period it became a university office.
The Norman tower
The Norman tower of Craco, erected around the 11th century as a defensive structure by Norman Dominators and then integrated into the Swabian Military System of Federico II, is today the undisputed symbol of the ghost village. It is a massive square tower that has changed its function over time: from Roccaforte apart from the ducal palace, to become a water tank with concrete grafts in the twentieth century. Although landslides, earthquakes and the abandonment of the country in the 1960s, the tower resists, severe and impressive, dominating the valley from above and perfectly embodying the suspended soul of Craco: a place where history is not a fairy tale, but memory of struggles, transformations and ruins that still challenge nature and time.
Legends related to Craco
The most disturbing legend of the ghost village tells that among its desolate viuzze she wanders the spectrum of a black -headed black horse, condemned to seek its lost master: in the silence of the night, it is said, the sound of the hooves on the stones while a dark shape materializes from the shadows, a spectral reminderial of the nature itself of Craco as a place where the time has stopped and the unreal.
Another story handed down is that of a shepherd who, finding a treasure hidden under a stone, held everything for himself and thus attracted the anger of the gods on Craco, unleashing a curse that would led to the ruin of the village.
Finally, between myth and sacred, devotion persists for San Vincenzo Martire, whose relic was at the center of an attempted theft in 1792: according to legend, the body was inexplicably heavier while it was taken away, until the thieves stop. Only returning to Craco, he would have asked to “have music to celebrate my return”
The shooting of some brigands in front of the bell tower at the time of the unification of Italy is far less legendary. In 1963, Craco was abandoned by his inhabitants after a landslide that destroyed a piece of country including water and sewage networks. The phenomenon of immigration then contributed to making the ghost country and since the early nineties, Craco is completely uninhabited.
How to visit Craco, Matera
Craco is just 40 km from Matera and can be easily inserted in an itinerary that combines the magic of the stones with that of the ghost village, can only be visited in groups and with a guide. The booking can be carried out at the municipal media library. The historic center is protected by Craco Research Srl and included in the WORCH LIST of the World Monument Fund, the international organization that protects the places with historical-cultural relevance present in the world.
Hours and guided tours in Craco
The ghost village can be visited all year round with regulated access. From 1 April to 31 October the visits are held every day from 10:00 to 18:00; While from 1 November to 31 March they are scheduled only on weekends and holidays, from Friday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 15:00.
The guided tour lasts about an hour and a half and has a cost of 11 euros. You can buy tickets online by connecting to the official website www.oltrelartecraco.it and clicking on the Red Tickets button, where all the updated information on the ticket office, times and contacts is also available.
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