Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa: The Lucanian Dolomites Between the Angel's Flight and Secret Trails

When people speak of Dolomites, the mind inevitably turns to Trentino-Alto Adige. Yet in the heart of Basilicata, between the provinces of Potenza and Matera, a landscape hides that rivals its northern cousins in verticality and drama. The Lucanian Dolomites are a small massif of sandstone and conglomerate sculpted by erosion into pinnacles, towers and sheer faces, at whose feet two borghi — Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa — cling to the rock like swallow's nests.

Castelmezzano appears suddenly after a series of breathtaking bends on the SP11. The borgo is literally set into a rocky amphitheatre: the houses climb the mountainside, overlooked by pinnacles that locals have given fanciful names — the Grande Madre, the Aquila Reale, the Bocca del Leone. Park at the entrance square, then proceed on foot through a maze of narrow alleys and steep staircases leading up to the remains of the Norman castle, from which the view sweeps the entire Basento valley.

The footpath connecting Castelmezzano to Pietrapertosa is the Percorso delle Sette Pietre, a trail of roughly two kilometres that descends into the valley and climbs up the other side, punctuated by seven art installations inspired by the story Il Volo di Mimì Ferrara. It is a moderate walk taking a couple of hours, offering extraordinary views of the rock faces from both sides. The trail sees far fewer visitors than the much more heavily publicised Angel's Flight.

The Angel's Flight (Volo dell'Angelo) is the area's great attraction: a steel cable strung between the two borghi at over 400 metres above the valley floor, along which you are launched harnessed at speeds that can exceed 120 kilometres per hour. The experience is adrenaline-fuelled and the view during the flight is indescribable, but it is not for everyone. For those seeking something less extreme, the Via Ferrata of the Lucanian Dolomites offer equipped routes along the rock faces, at various difficulty levels.

Pietrapertosa, the highest municipality in Basilicata at 1,088 metres, has a different character from Castelmezzano. The borgo has Saracen origins — the Arabata quarter, with its houses pressed against bare rock, still preserves the structure of the Arab fortification. Climbing to the summit, you reach the mother church of San Giacomo Maggiore, which houses a fine sixteenth-century polyptych. From here, the panorama over the surrounding pinnacles is simply unreal.

For dining, in Castelmezzano the obvious choice is Al Becco della Civetta, a restaurant set inside a natural cave serving creative reinterpretations of Lucanian cuisine. Try the crusco peppers stuffed with salt cod, the pasta with fried breadcrumbs, and the Sarconi beans — a Slow Food Presidium cultivated in the nearby Val d'Agri. In Pietrapertosa, the Osteria del Gallo offers more rustic but equally excellent dishes, with a memorable lamb grilled over coals with roast potatoes.

Those wishing to explore the area further can follow the trail from Pietrapertosa up to the Bosco di Montepiano, a forest of Turkey oaks and beeches that blazes with spectacular colour in autumn. The CAI-marked path reaches the summit of Monte Caperrino in around three hours, from where on clear days both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas are visible simultaneously.

Access to the area is from the E847 Basentana, exiting at Campomaggiore or Laurenzana and following signs. The borghi are about 45 minutes from Potenza. There are no usable public transport links, so a car is essential. Staying overnight is recommended to enjoy the borghi at sunset, when day-trippers have left and the pink light on the rocks creates a magical atmosphere. The B&B La Dimora dei Cavalieri in Castelmezzano has rooms looking directly onto the pinnacles.

The ideal months are May, June, September and October, when the climate is mild and the days still long. Summer can be very hot, though the altitude slightly tempers the temperatures. Winter brings snow above 1,200 metres and opens up possibilities for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on the Pollino plains.

The Lucanian Dolomites prove that Italy hides treasures even where you least expect them. Forget the queues and chaos of the Belluno Dolomites: here you will find the same natural grandeur, but in a solitude that tastes of genuine adventure.

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