A Pietrapertosa the air is clear and sharp, and the sound of bells marks the slow passing of the days. The alpine landscape, indeed dolomitic, almost seems out of place with the dialect spoken here, a southern dialect. We are on the peaks of the “Dolomiti Lucane“, in Basilicata, about 1100 meters above sea level, in the heart of Basilicata.
1 What to see in Pietrapertosa
Driving along the switchbacks that lead to the small village, you reach the highest part of the Serra di San Martino mountain, and from this privileged vantage point, the view of the vast Basento valley is nothing short of spectacular. A few more kilometers and after the pass, here we are at Pietrapertosa, one of the most beautiful villages in the province of Potenza.
The houses in the village are built with the same gray sandstone as the surrounding mountains and seem almost embedded in the steep slope. There are some buildings, now used only as storage, that were carved right into the rock face. From the houses of Pietrapertosa, you can see far away to the south, the rounded peaks of the “timpe,” which reach almost 1500 meters high. And beyond, with good visibility, there are even higher mountains, reaching about 2000 meters.
2 The Dolomite Peaks
To the “unsettling” and jagged Dolomite peaks looming over their village, the inhabitants of Pietrapertosa have given imaginative and familiar names, perhaps to somehow soften the great sovereignty of the mountain. The best-known cliffs are the Black Eagle, the Anvil, the Great Mother. There once was also the Great Horned Owl, but then the rock was removed because it could have been a danger to the village.
3 Pietrapertosa, Saracen fortress
Pietrapertosa was a Saracen fortress. It was formerly called Pietraperciata and is the highest municipality in Basilicata, at 1088 meters. The narrow and quiet alleys are crowded with wrought iron balconies and doors hiding small courtyards. The steep lanes and long staircases have prevented the formation of a true square in the town center. One was recently built towards the lower part of the settlement, near the convent of the Minor Observants.
4 What to do in Pietrapertosa
For some years now, Pietrapertosa has hosted, along with the nearby village of Castelmezzano, the Flight of the Angel, an attraction that allows you to fly over the Lucanian Dolomites while harnessed and suspended in the air by a steel cable. This is an attraction that routinely, during the summer period, welcomes many hikers and tourists. An adrenaline-pumping experience that allows the discovery of Lucanian villages that absolutely deserve a visit.
