Viggianello, Italian comune
Description
Viggianello is a small commune in the province of Potenza in Basilicata, perched on a rocky outcrop at around 500 meters elevation and surrounded by dense forests. Stone buildings cluster tightly along narrow streets that climb steeply, creating a sense of stepping through old times.
History
The name Viggianello stems from a legend where someone found a lost ring and cried "Vidi anello!" (I saw the ring!), leading to the queen naming the village after that moment. Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Lombards, Byzantines, and Normans passed through the area, with the latter building a fortress featuring a square tower.
Culture
Viggianello keeps alive customs tied to farm life and local food, with seasonal festivals celebrating local crafts and traditions. Small shops and markets display fresh cheeses, cured meats, and produce that families have made the same way for generations.
Practical
Viggianello is best explored on foot by walking through the narrow streets, which feel like stepping back in time. The town is quiet and slow-paced, offering good starting points for hikes into Pollino National Park and the surrounding mountains and forests.
Did you know?
Behind the name lies an ancient story: Greek Basilian monks settled nearby and built small churches and chapels, some still visible as ruins. The Mercure river flowing through the village has been essential to residents for centuries and inspired the legendary name.
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Basilicata stretches between the Apennines and the Ionian Sea in the south of Italy. This region invites you to see varied landscapes, villages built on the rocks and a history that goes back to ancient times. Matera, listed as a world heritage site, shows its Sassi, old homes carved in limestone....
Pollino National Park
5.3 km
Italia Viaduct
11 km
Monte Pollino
11.1 km
Serra Dolcedorme
13.9 km
Serra del Prete
8.3 km
Santa Maria del Sagittario abbey
10.7 km
Rago Viaduct
10.5 km
Santuario delle Cappelle
9.4 km
Riserva naturale Rubbio
11.3 km
Museo di storia dell'agricoltura e della pastorizia
12 km
Museo Naturalistico e Paleontologico
4.1 km
Timpa di Ciamparella
11.9 km
Assunta chapel
746 m
Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
721 m
Sanctuary of the Madonna del Pollino
8.2 km
Santuario di Santa Maria della Consolazione
4.3 km
Piazza Sant'Antonio
4.1 km
Sant'Egidio church
14.7 km
Obelisco della Passione
12 km
Fontana del Santo patrono
4 km
Pino loricato
11.8 km
Maria Santissima degli Angeli
7.6 km
San Nicola di Bari square
11.9 km
Piazza Arcieri
11.9 km
Monumento ai caduti
3.9 km
Monte Pelato geosite
10.2 km
Mulino Iannarelli
7.8 km
Cloister in Sant'Antonio convent
11.9 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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