A Pietrapertosa the air is clear and crisp, and the sound of the bells marks the slow passage of the days. The alpine, more precisely dolomitic, landscape almost seems at odds with the dialect spoken here, a southern dialect. We are on the peaks of the “Lucanian Dolomites“, 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 Mount Serra di San Martino, and from this privileged vantage point, the view of the vast valley of the Basento is nothing short of spectacular. Just a few more kilometers and after the pass, here we are in 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 only used for 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 in height. And beyond, with good visibility, there are even higher mountains, reaching around 2000.
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 mitigate the great sovereignty of the mountain. The most well-known cliffs are the Black Eagle, the Anvil, the Great Mother. There used to be the Royal Owl as well, but then the rock was taken down because it could be a danger to the village.
3 Pietrapertosa, Saracen fortress
Pietrapertosa was a Saracen fortification. 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 that hide small courtyards. The steep lanes and long staircases have prevented the creation of a proper square in the town center. A new one has recently been built towards the lower part of the inhabited area, near the convent of the Minor Observants.
4 What to do in Pietrapertosa
For some years now, Pietrapertosa has hosted, together with the nearby village of Castelmezzano, the Angel Flight, an attraction that allows you to fly over the Lucanian Dolomites while being harnessed and suspended in the air by a steel cable. It is an attraction that regularly, during the summer period, welcomes many hikers and tourists. An adrenaline-filled experience that allows the discovery of the Lucanian villages that absolutely deserve a visit.
