Richard And Jo Demeester's photos with the keyword: Basilicata

The Black Madonna of Vigianno is an important icon, with pilgrims descending on this little town in their thousands. The statue itself was inside this church. It is possibly over a thousand years old, but was lost in 1050 when the city where it originally was housed, Grumentum, was destroyed. Centuries later, it was found by shepherds (who do appear both surprised and delighted). In May, the statue is transferred from this sanctuary to a church in the mountains, close to where it was found. And in September, the crowds follow it when it is carried back here.

San Prospero Martire. according to the label, but confusing as his skull is supposed to be elsewhere. Leading me to believe the jaw is not his, but that maybe a small relic of his is in the box....

Morning, Castelmezzano.

We had consciously decided that an anniversary lunch would be preferable to allow, despite the lower temperatures, the view while dining. After all, the vista is what makes Castelmezzano so amazing. Happy 32 years, my love.

So, while these are not "The Dolomites", they are dolomite formations. Dolomite is the name of the mineral, so that will do for the geology lesson. The dramatic nature of the formations is all we really care about. It was not too arduous to walk down from Castelmezzano, across the river, and up to this fine viewpoint, above the town of Pietrapertosa. Not visiible in the photo, there is a zipline running from one of the further peaks across to the one we took this photo from. Volo dell'Angelo - Flight of the Angel. Deep down, I was probably relieved it was closed for the season when we were there.

Morning, Castelmezzano.

OK, the balcony was small, but the view was true to what the website implied we would get. We were thrilled, and would recommend the place to anyone heading anywhere near here. Downside? A steep walk in to town. A minor inconvenience.

The Crypt of the Original Sin, near Matera, has unmatched paintings from the 8th century, featuring paintings that have earnt the unknown painter much acclaim for the style he brought to his art of that era. The freedom he painted with, and his attempts to bring together, particularly the early part of the Old Testament, in a simple flow, were beautiful. Here, we see the serpent tempt Eve, who takes the fruit, and after tasting it, offers it to Adam. He in turn, willingly, almost happily, accepts to participate in this activity, contravening the one restriction God has placed on them, and leading to their downfall, and ultimately, the downfall of humanity.

A full 360 panorama of a piazza which featured in the Bond film, "No Time to Die". Apparently, it gained the pseudonym of donut square. In the movie, our hero in his Aston Martin, taking a beating from the villains, unleashes a furious barrage of firepower as he spins the car around in the centre. Thankfully, it was all special effects, and they didn't really fill all the buildings and the 12th church with bullet holes....

Madonna degli Angeli. We were the only people up there, and so even just to be somewhere the crowds weren't going was a plus. The state of abandonment made me feel a bit sad, especially to see that some visitors had chosen to graffiti right over the top of centuries old paintings. Even in there decaying state, or maybe because of that, they deserve respect.

We crossed the gorge and picked our way up to this viewpoint. Both sides of the gorge, for many kilometres, are dotted with caves of various size, many turned in to chapels and churches with ancient frescoes. A few were accessible from this path across, and despite their varying state of preservation or lack there-of, they were interesting spots to visit.

As the New Year ticked over, and we cheered and watched the fireworks, we embraced each other, our friends, and even our restaurant hosts. Many wishes for a wonderful 2022 were given by all to all.

New Years Eve. We met up with Justin and Paul, friends from Melbourne, Richmond even. When the first two plates arrived, we thought it looked like a lot to share between four. Then another two plates arrived. With another four courses to come, plus panetone, we were going to need the whole time until midnight to move our way through the food.

Lights coming on, and a prominent Christmas tree pokes out to remind us the photo was taken in late December.

Abandoned a century or so ago, the water cisterns beneath Matera have recently been drained and restored. They are no longer used as a water source for the city, but are now another tourist attraction. But a splendid sight, amazing engineering of its day, and a real appreciation of the importance of supplying a city with a good amount of water.