You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Italian. (January 2022)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Italian Wikipedia article at [[:it:Craco]]; see its history for attribution.
You may also add the template {{Translated|it|Craco}} to the talk page.
Craco is a ghost town and comune in the province of Matera, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. It was abandoned towards the end of the 20th century, due to faulty pipe work that was thought to have failed, causing the town to be abandoned due to a landslide. The abandonment has made Craco a tourist attraction and a popular filming location. In 2010, Craco was included in the watch list of the World Monuments Fund.[3]
Craco is about 40km (25mi) inland from the Gulf of Taranto. The town was built on a very steep summit for defensive reasons, giving it a striking appearance and distinguishing it from the surrounding land. The centre, built on the highest side of the town, faces a ridge which runs steeply to the southwest, where newer buildings exist. The town sits atop a 400m-high (1,300ft) cliff that overlooks the Cavone River valley. Throughout the area are many vegetation-less mounds called calanchi (badlands) formed by intensive erosion.
Tombs have been found dating from the 8th century BC. Around 540 BC, the area was inhabited by Ancient Greeks who moved inland from the coastal town of Metaponto. The town's name can be dated to 1060 AD, when the land was the possession of Arnaldo, Archbishop of Tricarico, who called the area Graculum, which means in Latin "little plowed field". This long association of the Church with the town had a great influence on the inhabitants.
From 1154 to 1168, the control of the village passed to a nobleman, Eberto, probably of Norman origin, who established the first feudal control over the town. Then in 1179, Roberto of Pietrapertosa became the landlord of Craco. Under Frederick II, Craco was an important military center and the Castle Tower hosted the Lombard prisoners who fought against the Holy Roman Emperor.
In 1276, a university was established in the town. The population increased from 450 (1277), to 655 (1477), to 1,718 (1532), until reaching 2,590 in 1561; and averaged 1,500 in succeeding centuries.[4] By the 15th century, four large palazzi had developed in the town: Palazzo Maronna near the tower, Palazzo Grossi near the big church, Palazzo Carbone on the Rigirones property, and Palazzo Simonetti. During 1656, a plague struck, with hundreds dying and reducing the number of families in the town.
By 1799, with the proclamation of the Parthenopean Republic, the townspeople overthrew the Bourbon feudal system. Innocenzo De Cesare returned to Naples, where he had studied, and promoted an independent municipality. The republican revolution was repressed by the army of Holy Faith few months later and Craco returned under the Bourbon monarchy. Subsequently, the town fell under the control of the Napoleonic occupation. Bands of brigands, supported by the Bourbon government in exile, attacked Craco on 18 July 1807, plundering and killing the pro-French notables.
By 1815, the town was large enough to divide into two districts: Torrevecchia, the highest area adjacent to the castle and tower; and Quarter della Chiesa Madre, the area adjacent to San Nicola's Church. After the unification of Italy, in 1861 Craco was conquered by the bands of brigands headed by Carmine Crocco.
With the end of the civil strife, the greatest difficulty the town faced became environmental and geological. From 1892 to 1922, over 1,300 Crachesi migrated to North America mainly due to poor agricultural conditions. In 1963, Craco began to be evacuated due to a series of landslides and the inhabitants moved to the valley of Craco Peschiera. The landslides seem to have been provoked by works of infrastructure, sewer and water systems.
In 1972 a flood worsened the situation further, preventing a possible repopulation of the historic centre. After the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, the ancient site of Craco was completely abandoned.
In 2007, the descendants of the emigrants of Craco in the United States formed the "Craco Society", a non-profit organization which preserves the culture, traditions, and history of the comune.
In popular culture
Cinema
Craco in 1960, 3 years before the landslide disasterPanoramic view of the townAn aerial view of Craco
Craco has been used as a filming location for several movies including
Basilicata, also known by its ancient name Lucania, is an administrative region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It has two coastlines: a 30-km stretch on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania and Calabria, and a longer coastline along the Gulf of Taranto between Calabria and Apulia. The region can be thought of as the "instep" of the "boot" of Italy, with Calabria functioning as the "toe" and Apulia the "heel".
Vizzini is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Catania, on the island of Sicily, southern Italy. It is located 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Catania in the Hyblaean Mountains, on the most northwesterly slopes of Monte Lauro.
San Fele is a town and comune in the province of Potenza in the Basilicata region of southern Italy.
Rionero in Vulture is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is located on the slopes of Monte Vulture in the northern part of the region. The village was founded and historically inhabited by the Arbëreshë minority, who no longer retain the language and the cultural Arbëreshe heritage.
Forenza is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, Basilicata, southern Italy. It is bounded by the comuni of Acerenza, Avigliano, Filiano, Ginestra, Maschito, Palazzo San Gervasio, Pietragalla, Ripacandida.
Potenza is a comune in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.
Palazzo Adriano is a town and comune of Arbëresh origin in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy.
Altino is a comune and town in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy. It is located on a rock spur commanding the valley of the Aventino river. The valley is richly cultivated with orchards, fruit, grapes and olives.
Ferrandina is a town and comune in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is a center for production of high quality olive oil.
Valsinni is a village and comune in the province of Matera, in the Basilicata region of southern Italy.
Salandra is a town and comune in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.
San Mauro Forte is a town and comune in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.
Maratea is an Italian town and comune of Basilicata, in the province of Potenza. It is the only comune of the region on the Tyrrhenian coast, and is known as "the Pearl of the Tyrrhenian". Owing to the considerable number of its churches and chapels it has also been described as "the town with 44 churches". It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.
Nemoli is a town and comune of 1,501 inhabitants, found in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. The town, positioned between the Apennine Mountains, is noted for its artisanal work, typically in wood and copper.
Sambuca di Sicilia is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region Sicily, located about 68 kilometres (42 mi) southwest of Palermo and about 89 kilometres (55 mi) northwest of Agrigento. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.
Christ Stopped at Eboli, also known as Eboli in the United States, is a 1979 drama film directed by Francesco Rosi, adapted from the book of the same name by Carlo Levi. It stars Gian Maria Volonté as Levi, a political dissident under Fascism who was exiled in the Basilicata region in Southern Italy.
Carmine Crocco, known as Donatello or sometimes Donatelli, was an Italian brigand. Initially a soldier for the Bourbons, he later fought in the service of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Ödland is a French band from Lyon consisting of composer-songwriter Lorenzo Papace, and sisters Alizée Bingöllü and Léa Bingöllü. They have self-produced two albums: Ottocento (2010) and Sankta Lucia (2011).
"Paradise" is a song by Italian production trio Meduza, featuring vocals from Irish singer-songwriter and musician Dermot Kennedy. It was released on 30 October 2020 by Island. The song was written by Conor Manning, Dan Caplen, Dermot Kennedy, Gez O'Connell, Joshua Grimmett, Luca De Gregorio, Mattia Vitale, Simone Giani and Wayne Hector.
José Borjes was a Spanish general who fought on the Carlist side during the Carlist Wars. Later in his life he sided with Francis II of the Two Sicilies and fought against the unification of Italy.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
