Photo via Sweet Italia
An incredible
setting of an abandoned medieval village located in the region of
Basilicata, about 25 miles inland from the instep of the boot of Italy.
How could anyone abandoned this dreamy mediterranean hilltop paradise overlooking the rolling Italian countryside?
via Flickr user Leo Nddy
via AbandonadaCidade.com
Craco has been abandoned since 1963. The
last of its 1,800 inhabitants left hurriedly after a series of
earthquakes and landslides had rendered their beautiful hometown
uninhabitable. In the end, nature won back the medieval town.
Today, warning signs line the edge of
the town. Craco’s shell is all that is left behind and the crumbling
stone ruins appear to be slowly melting into the steep hillside
landscape.
Because of its unique and particular landscape, Craco has been the setting of many movies, including Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ. Craco is the town that can be seen in the scene of the hanging of Judas.
Photo by Greenery
via Sometimes Interesting
Craco’s history reaches as far back as
540 AD when it was known as ‘Montedoro’ under Greek rule and tombs from
this period have been discovered on the hill town. In the 12th century,
the village was passed over to Italian feudal control and by the 15th
century, it boasted four large bustling plazas in the town centre and a
population of almost 3,000.
via Sometimes Interesting
via Cidada Fantasmas
via Giovanni Calia
via Greenery
But Craco’s history went largely
downhill from there. In 1656, a plague struck killing hundreds of
inhabitants, followed by centuries of civil strife, foreign occupation,
poor agricultural conditions and finally, the geological threat that
would bring the town to its knees.
Photo Ivo Spadone via Turista Mestiere
Photo by Shezan via Skyscrapercity.com
Photo via Dogguie
via here
via here
In 1922, Craco lost half of its
population to the poor agriculture when 1,300 residents migrated to
North America. In 2007, descendents of the town now living in the United
States established the Craco Society, an organization dedicated to
preserving the culture, traditions and history of Craco. In the summer
of 2008, the society organized an inaugural trip to Craco which marked
the largest return of descendants ever, with 44 members returning to
their ancestral home to learn more about their roots and establish new
family links. The current residents of Craco who live in a safer part of
the valley welcomed the descendents and the society was also officially
recognized by the local government, promising ‘continued goodwill and
cooperation for generations to come’.
The Craco Society also has a website
where I found another piece of treasure. The Rinaldi family, members of
the society and original descendents of the town helped capture the
identity of the buildings in an old black and white photograph of one of
Craco’s old piazzas, Vittorio Emanuele II.
(click to enlarge)
1. Deli shop owned by Carmelina Pucci – she had the best mortadella, cheese, and olives.2. Craco also had a Cinema, that was operational from the mid 1950s and screened such Italian classics as “Catene”, “Il fornaretto di Venezia”, and “Marcellino, pane e vino” .
To the right of the Cinema was a small street with more homes, and a carpentry shop belonging to Antonio Consoli.3. Bar belonging to Valerio Santalucia.4. Tabacchino shop belonging to Marcello Pantaleo – sold cigarettes, salt (which could only be purchased under license by the state), newspapers, and other convenience items.5. Shop belonging to Graziella and Vincenzo Vignola who sold fruits, vegetables, especially legumes and cereals.
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