An abandoned village on a clay cliff, set of many films
In the hinterland of the province of Matera, among hills of clay and badlands, appears one of the most evocative and photographed places in southern Italy: Craco, a ghost town, abandoned and silent, perched on a crest of rock and clay, dominated by a tall square Norman tower. Founded in the early Middle Ages, it was for centuries a prosperous agricultural centre, with noble palaces, churches and convents, but the instability of the ground on which it stands, threatened by landslides, slowly marked its fate. In 1963, a large landslide, probably aggravated by infrastructure works and the lack of drainage, forced the inhabitants to leave their homes, and in the following years, after a flood and the earthquake of 1980, the village was completely abandoned, and its inhabitants moved to the new settlement of Craco Peschiera, in the valley.
Today, the ruins of the houses, palaces and churches, with collapsed roofs and empty windows overlooking the badlands, create a landscape of haunting beauty, which has attracted many film directors: here were shot scenes of "Christ Stopped at Eboli" by Francesco Rosi, "The Passion of the Christ" by Mel Gibson, "Quantum of Solace" with James Bond, and many other films and commercials. The village can be visited only on guided tours, with a safety helmet, along a protected path that leads among the ruins to the base of the tower, with views over the surrounding badlands. Craco is part of the list of the World Monuments Fund as an endangered site.
Tip: book the guided tour in advance; visit at sunset, when the clay hills turn pink.
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