Learn more about Basilicata, Italy
Basilicata is a region of southern Italy, lying between Campania to the west, Puglia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It is one of the least crowded regions of the country, and it touches two seas: a short stretch of the Tyrrhenian coast around Maratea and a longer, flatter shore on the Gulf of Taranto, on the Ionian Sea. The region is also known by its ancient name, Lucania.
Most of Basilicata is mountains and hills. The southern Apennines cross the west of the region, the Pollino massif forms its border with Calabria, and the land falls away eastwards through clay hills and river valleys towards the plain of Metaponto. Hill towns built on ridges and outcrops are typical, often with a castle or a mother church at the highest point.
Property for sale in Basilicata includes stone houses in historic centres, country houses with olive groves, homes on the Ionian and Tyrrhenian coasts and, in Matera, restored houses in and around the famous cave districts. Prices in most inland villages are among the lowest in Italy, while Matera and Maratea form smaller markets with higher demand.
Basilicata is divided into two provinces:
Province of Potenza
Property for sale in Potenza covers the larger, western and more mountainous part of the region. Potenza, the regional capital, stands high in the Apennines and provides the main public services, hospitals and offices for the province.
To the north, the extinct volcano of Monte Vulture rises above vineyards that produce Aglianico del Vulture, the region’s best-known red wine. Melfi has a Norman castle that dominates the town, the lakes of Monticchio lie in woods on the slopes of the volcano, and Venosa, the birthplace of the Roman poet Horace, keeps an archaeological park and an unfinished abbey church.
East of Potenza, the jagged peaks of the Lucanian Dolomites frame the villages of Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa, which cling to the rock between them. In the far south-west, Maratea is the region’s only town on the Tyrrhenian Sea, with a rocky coast of coves and small beaches below steep green hills, a historic centre of narrow lanes and a large statue of Christ on Monte San Biagio above the harbour.
The south of the province reaches into the Pollino National Park, one of the largest protected areas in Italy, with beech forests, high pastures and the rare Bosnian pine. Homes in this part of the region are mostly village houses and rural properties at modest prices.
Province of Matera
Property for sale in Matera covers the eastern part of Basilicata, from the city of Matera to the Ionian coast. Matera is famous for the Sassi, two districts of houses and churches carved into the limestone of a ravine, which are listed by UNESCO. Once abandoned, they have been restored over recent decades, and the city was a European Capital of Culture in 2019.
Property in Matera ranges from apartments in the newer town to restored houses in and around the Sassi, many with vaulted rooms cut partly into the rock. This is the most active market in the region, with interest from buyers looking for a home or a guest house in a historic setting.
South of the city, the land opens into the clay hills known as calanchi, with villages such as Bernalda, Montescaglioso and Pisticci, and the abandoned hill town of Craco. On the Ionian coast, Metaponto has the remains of a Greek temple and long sandy beaches, while Policoro and Scanzano Jonico sit among orchards and farmland on the coastal plain. Coastal property here is mostly apartments and houses in holiday developments, with country houses and farms inland.
Property and Lifestyle in Basilicata
Life in Basilicata is quiet and traditional. Many villages have small populations, and shops, schools and medical services are concentrated in Potenza, Matera and the larger towns. Food is simple and rooted in the land: Lucanica sausage, dried sweet peppers known as peperoni cruschi, durum wheat pasta, pecorino cheeses and olive oil, with Aglianico wine from the Vulture.
Buyers are drawn to the region for low prices, space and an unhurried way of life. Village houses are often sold for very little, but they suit buyers prepared to renovate and to live away from busy tourist areas. Matera and Maratea offer more services and a livelier summer season, at higher prices.
Airports and Transport Connections
Basilicata has no passenger airport of its own. Matera and the east of the region are usually reached from Bari airport in Puglia, while Potenza and the west are closer to Naples and Salerno. Lamezia Terme in Calabria is an option for Maratea and the south.
Maratea lies on the main railway along the Tyrrhenian coast between Salerno and Reggio Calabria. Potenza is linked by rail to Salerno and to Metaponto on the Ionian coast, and Matera is served by a regional line to Bari. The A2 motorway runs along the western edge of the region, and the Basentana road connects Potenza with Metaponto. A car is essential for most rural properties.
Buying and Renovating Property in Basilicata
Basilicata is a seismic region, so the structure of an older building deserves careful attention. Before committing to a purchase, appoint an independent engineer or geometra to assess the walls, roof and foundations, and to confirm that past repairs and alterations were authorised and registered.
Cheap village houses often need a new roof, utilities, damp-proofing and heating, and the cost of works can exceed the purchase price. Older homes may also have several co-owners after successive inheritances, so the notary must confirm that every owner is selling and that the title is clear.
In the Sassi of Matera, works are tightly controlled to protect the historic fabric, and rooms cut into the rock need checking for humidity and ventilation. Inside national and regional parks, extensions and new buildings face additional limits. On the coasts, look at the distance from the shore, flood risk on the Ionian plain and the effect of salt air on metalwork and render.
For rural property, verify boundaries, access roads, water supply and whether outbuildings are registered as habitable or agricultural. Basilicata suits buyers looking for a genuine rural or historic home at a low price, provided that renovation costs and distance from services are weighed from the start.