Craco: Inside Basilicata's Most Famous Ghost Town

A village gripping the clay

Craco rises on a clay spur at 391 metres, in the heart of Basilicata. From a distance it resembles a forgotten nativity scene: stone houses piled one upon another, dominated by the Norman tower that still resists time and landslides. To approach is to enter a suspended dimension, where silence is broken only by the wind moving through deserted alleyways.

The borgo was inhabited for nearly a thousand years. The first traces date to the 8th century, when Basilian monks settled among these hills. In the Middle Ages Craco became a lively small centre, with churches, a Franciscan convent and a community that lived by farming. Everything changed in the second half of the twentieth century.

The story of abandonment

Craco's fate was written in geology. The clay ground on which it stands is inherently unstable: landslides were recurring even in past centuries. In 1963 a series of particularly severe earth movements forced the authorities to order the evacuation of most of the population. Around 1,800 inhabitants were transferred to the new Craco Peschiera, in the valley below.

Those who remained tried to hold on, but the flood of 1972 and the 1980 Irpinia earthquake delivered the final blow. The last families left the borgo in the early 1980s. Since then Craco has been a ghost town, an empty shell that time and nature are slowly reclaiming.

What to see during your visit

The guided route crosses the heart of the borgo along a path secured with walkways, and hard hats are provided. You enter from the main gate and climb toward the Norman tower, passing between houses with collapsed roofs and still-visible interiors: tiled floors, remnants of coloured plasterwork, niches where sacred icons once stood.

The highlights

- Norman tower: the highest point of the borgo, commanding a view over the calanchi badlands all the way to the horizon

- Church of San Nicola: the mother church, with fragments of frescoes still visible on the walls

- Convent of San Pietro: the ruins of the Franciscan convent, wrapped in vegetation

- Palazzo Grossi: a noble residence with its stone portal still intact

- The calanchi panorama: the clay formations surrounding Craco are among the most spectacular in Basilicata

Craco on screen

Craco's surreal atmosphere has drawn both Italian and international cinema. Scenes from films including Francesco Rosi's "Christ Stopped at Eboli", Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" and "Basilicata Coast to Coast" were shot here. Walking through the alleyways means recognising corners seen on the big screen, in a continuous layering of reality and fiction.

Practical visiting information

Craco is not freely accessible. For safety reasons, entry is permitted only on guided visits organised by the local association that manages the site. Tours last approximately an hour and a half and take place throughout the year, with more frequent departures in spring and autumn.

How to get there

Craco lies along the SS598, roughly 50 km from Matera and 60 km from the Ionian coast. The only way to reach it is by car: no public transport connections exist. Parking is located just before the entrance to the old borgo.

What to bring

- Closed shoes with non-slip soles: the route crosses uneven ground with worn stone steps

- Water and sun protection in summer: there are no refreshment points in the borgo

- A protective hard hat is provided at the entrance and is compulsory

Booking

It is advisable to book the visit a few days ahead, especially at weekends and on public holidays. Groups are kept small to guarantee safety and quality of experience. The ticket price is modest and helps fund site maintenance.

In the surrounding area

A visit to Craco pairs perfectly with a day among the borghi of inland Basilicata. A few kilometres away lie Aliano, the village of Carlo Levi's confinement, and Stigliano, with its hilltop historic centre. For lunch, Lucanian cuisine offers robust dishes: cruschi peppers, pasta with fried breadcrumbs, lamb cooked in the country style. The nearest restaurants are in Craco Peschiera and Stigliano.

Those wishing to extend the experience will find the Lucanian calanchi badlands worthy of deeper exploration. The trails winding through the clay formations offer lunar panoramas, especially at dawn and dusk when raking light brings the landscape's forms to life.

When to go

The best months to visit Craco are April, May, June, September and October. The Lucanian summer can be scorching, with temperatures exceeding 35°C and no shade in the borgo. Winter is evocative but cold and windy, and rain can make the route slippery. Spring and autumn offer the best compromise: mild temperatures, perfect light for photography and the surrounding countryside at its most beautiful.