The village with two souls, Greek and Latin, with an unusual Last Supper
On a ridge in the valley of the Noce river, in the south-west of Basilicata, a few kilometres from Maratea and the Tyrrhenian coast, Rivello is one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia", a village of stone houses that winds along the crest of a hill, with steep lanes, steps, arches and small squares. Rivello has a particular history: for centuries, its population was divided into two communities, one of Greek-Byzantine rite, settled in the upper part of the village around the church of San Nicola dei Greci, and one of Latin rite, in the lower part, around the church of Santa Maria del Poggio, each with its own churches, clergy and traditions, until the Greek rite disappeared in the seventeenth century. This "double soul" can still be seen in the layout of the village and in its churches, some of which preserve Byzantine frescoes.
Just outside the village stands the Convento di Sant'Antonio, a Franciscan convent of the sixteenth century, with a beautiful cloister decorated with frescoes, whose refectory preserves a large fresco of the Last Supper of the sixteenth century, considered singular for the curious details on the table, with dishes, food and objects of everyday life of the time, and for the expressions of the apostles. Rivello is also known for its tradition of copper and gold craftsmanship, with workshops that produce traditional pots and jewellery. In the surroundings, the valley of the Noce offers woods and walks, and the sea of Maratea is just a short drive away.
Tip: visit the convent of Sant'Antonio and its Last Supper; walk from the upper to the lower village to discover its two souls.
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