Displaying items by tag: lake

The yellow ochre of sand and the green of woods combine with the bluest of waters to leave an indelible memory in the eyes of the visitor seeing Senise for the first time. It is here that the Monte Cotugno dam was built, one of the major works in Europe in clay. It slows down the flow of the River Sinni and creates an artificial lake of extraordinary beauty.

THE SHOW ON THE LAKE WATERS

Here the historical theme park "Magna Grecia. Il mito delle origini" rises up, a show dedicated to the landing of the Ancient Greeks at Basilicata. It is a majestic performance, with historical reenactments and hundreds of actors and extras supervised by the famous director Emir Kusturica.

After a stop-over at the lake we suggest that you visit the town of Senise, full of tangled alleys which lead to the castle - built in 1200 and reconstructed two centuries after. You cannot miss the ethnographic museum, the ancient noble palaces and the church of San Francesco, dated back to XIV century.

At the end of the day, after spending the morning at the lake and the afternoon in town, you can stop to taste these places' delicacies such as the IGP peppers and the Grottino di Roccanova, IGT red wine - the name of which refers to the typical caves dug into the sandstone where barrels used to be kept.

THREE GOOD REASONS TO VISIT SENISE 

1. SUNDRIED CRUSCHI PEPPERS

If you want to try typical Lucanian dishes you cannot avoid stopping in Senise. The origins of the sundried cruschi peppers are right here and they represent one the most typical foods of the regional cuisine.

Senise IGP peppers are dried out until they become crunchy ("cruschi", in dialect) to be used in numerous recipes such as with salted codfish or with strascinati (a particular handmade pasta), soft crumbs and cacioricotta cheese (we advise you to try them!).

The huge celebration "Strittul ru Zafaran" (the alley of peppers) is dedicated to the Cruschi peppers in August: there it is possible to taste this food in all its combinations, together with a glass of Aglianico del Vulture or Grottino di Roccanova, IGT wine produced in these places.

2. LAKE FISHING

The lake of Monte Cotugno is an ideal place to play sports that are in touch with nature. It is an important point of reference for sporty fishing lovers, who can find refreshment in the local holiday farms.

The immense stretch of water is also a scene of meetings and national rowing competitions.

3. THE SHOW OF MAGNA GRECIA

Shining armours, ancient gods, ships and monsters: during the summer the lake waters embellish themselves with lights for "Magna Grecia: il mito delle origini", a "cinespettacolo" dedicated to the landing of the Ancient Greeks at the Ionian coasts of Basilicata.

A journey around Senise is also a journey in the antique artisan and farming culture, described in the Ethnographic Museum of Senise, sprung in 2003. Farming tools, aged clothes, things of everyday usage and photographic materials tell us stories of a past that seems to be very far away.

Distance

41 Km

Tips

For those who love nature and good food

Recommended period

April to mid-October 

Stages

Monticchio lakes Rionero in Vulture - Waterfalls of San Fele

FIRST STAGE: MONTICCHIO LAKES

Monticchio was, for a few decades, an important place of extraction of mineral waters. Coming from Melfi you  see the establishment of Gaudianello. Acqua Lilia tells you something? In these places by some fountains you can drink mineral water!

What to see...

Arriving at the Lakes the visitor is immediately struck by the panorama of the  two volcanic lakes: The Lago Piccolo (Little lake) with its  greenish water and The Lago Grande (the Big Lake) with its olive green water.

Walk along the banks of one of the two lakes and visit the remains of the Church of St. Hippolytus of the 10th century and the White Abbey of San Michele. A little distance from the Abbey, walking along a trail used by the Crocco bandit, we reach a cave where we can enjoy a spectacular view of the woods surrounding the two lakes.

Time

2/3 hour visit

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE READ OUR PAGE ABOUT MELFI!

SECOND STAGE: RIONERO IN VULTURE

Now we move to Rionero in Vulture for a visit with wine tasting. The route is rich of vineyards of fine grapes, a wonderful view especially  in the fall.

What to see: Rionero in Vulture is the home town of the famous bandit Carmine Crocco, one of the best-known figures of the Risorgimento period in southern Italy. This is where you can retrace the history of the Lucan robbers in the museum of banditry, set up in the halls of the former Bourbon prison.

Time

2/3 hours visit

THIRD STAGE: WATERFALLS OF SAN FELE

The last stop is the Waterfalls of San Fele. A series of routes will take you through the woods to admire the waterfalls of the Bradano stream. Fill a water bottle and scramble through the paths of the ancient mule tracks, lulled by the sound of the water and the cool breeze of the trees.

Time

3  hours