The highest village in Basilicata, wedged into the rock
At about 1,088 metres above sea level, Pietrapertosa is the highest municipality in Basilicata and one of the most spectacular villages in Italy, one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia": its stone houses are literally wedged among the sandstone peaks of the Dolomiti Lucane, so that at first glance it is difficult to distinguish where the rock ends and the houses begin. Its name, "pierced stone", probably refers to a large rock with a hole near the village. At the top of the village, carved directly into the rock, are the ruins of the castle, an ancient fortress used by the Saracens in the ninth century and later by the Normans, which can be reached by steps carved into the stone and from which the view sweeps over the valley of the Basento and the peaks of the Lucanian Dolomites.
Below the castle lies the Arabata, the oldest district of the village, whose name and layout recall the presence of the Arabs, with narrow, steep lanes, steps and houses built against the rock. The village also preserves the Chiesa Madre di San Giacomo, with a beautiful wooden choir and paintings, and the convent of San Francesco, with frescoes. Pietrapertosa is one of the two endpoints of the Volo dell'Angelo, the cable flight to Castelmezzano, and is connected to it by the Percorso delle Sette Pietre. In summer, the village hosts events and festivals, and in June an ancient tree rite in honour of Saint Anthony, the "marriage of the trees", in which a tall trunk is carried into the village and joined with the top of a holly tree.
Tip: climb up to the castle for the view; combine Pietrapertosa with the Volo dell'Angelo and Castelmezzano.
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