CASTELMEZZANO, ITALY – Everything You Need To Know

You may have seen photos of Castelmezzano, Italy, but chances are, you have never heard of it. That’s the way it goes with a lot of small towns. They are beautiful, and feature on many postcards. Tourists and visitors like their photos on Instagram without a second thought. Rarely, though, do they seek them out and visit them. That is certainly the case for places such as Castelmezzano in Italy, as it is for many small Italian villages and towns.

Hopefully, with guides such as this, I can change that.

Because Castelmezzano is a truly beautiful hidden gem of Italy that is just begging for visitors. It is a place that you can get away from the bustling crowds of nearby Naples, take a breath of fresh air, and just really enjoy Italy. For this is a town that is small in size, yet makes up for it in sheer beauty, and a uniqueness that almost defies logic.

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Table of Contents

• Where is Castelmezzano?
• History of Castelmezzano
• Pietrapertosa
• What to do in Castelmezzano
• How to get there
• Where to stay
  • Borgo dell’Angelo
  • Dimore dell’Olmo
  • Monserrat
• Summary

Where is Castelmezzano?

Castelmezzano, Italy, is a small mountainside town in the southern Region of Basilicata. It is located in the Province of Potenza, and lays nestled in the peaks of the Dolomiti Lucane Mountains. Castelmezzano’s closest neighbor is her “Twin Town” of Pietrapertosa, and the nearest large cities are Bari, on the East Coast, or Naples in the West.

History of Castelmezzano

The History of Castelmezzano begins way back in the 6th and 5th centuries BC when Greek settlers arrived in the valley of Basento, and the town of Maudoro was founded. Things were peaceful until the 10th century AD, when the local population of the town were forced to flee from the Saracen invasions.

It was a shepherd, or a pastor, depending what version of history you read, that first ventured into the area. The site for modern day Castelmezzano was located, along with that of Pietrapertosa, and recognized as perfect vantage points to repel the invaders. The reason for this was the unique location, from which they could rain down stones or roll boulders onto the enemy.

This strategic position plays a large part in the early history of the town. By the 19th Century, the town had been occupied by the Normans, Aragonese and Lombard’s. But a period of unsettled and ineffective Government in the country saw bands of brigands occupying many of the highland towns, along with Castelmezzano. The reason they chose locations such as this was due to the perfect hiding spots among the rocks and thick foliage of the area.

I find this period very interesting for a couple of reasons. Due to the brigands that ran the town, much of the local population were forced out, or chose to emigrate. Mostly overseas. During this time, the wealthy class of Southern Italy would send young men into the mountains to negotiate with the brigands in order to facilitate the return of their stolen property. These negotiations would often involve pardons for the offenders. It is widely believed that this was the very beginning of the Mafia in Italy.

Pietrapertosa

Pietrapertosa is known as the “twin town” of Castelmezzano. It seems to have always lived in the shadow of its twin, which is not really fair. Pietrapertosa is an extraordinary village in its own right.

This has been officially rectified, and it now holds its own in many official lists and awards as one of the most beautiful hamlets in Italy. Visitors to the town can see some wonderful architecture in its churches and castle, along with the houses in the village itself. The entire town is built into the rock of the mountains, and enjoys much the same views and outlook as Castelmezzano.

One of the wonderful things to happen to Pietrapertosa in recent times was the construction of the Vollo Dell’Angelo, or “Flight of the Angels”. This amazing zipline connects the town to Castelmezzano, and is an extremely popular adrenaline rush for visitors. It also allows easy access for tourists to move between the two towns. There is also a road and walking track for those not inclined to fly!

What to do in Castelmezzano

There are plenty of things to do in Castelmezzano. As would be expected in nearly any small town of Italy, there is wonderful architecture, churches and castles. But there is also much more. Let’s take a look.

• The Gradinata Normanna – The “Norman Stairway” is a set of 54 stairs carved into the rock of one of the Dolomite Spiers that surround the town and give it that authentic look. Visitors can climb the rock, and are rewarded with wonderful views from the top. The stairs once led to a lookout post on the walls of the ancient Castrum Medianum.
• Vollo Dell’Angelo – The Flight of the Angels is the zipline that you can use to pass between the two towns. With a drop of 100m, the ride reaches speeds of up to 120km/hr over the 1.4km run. You also LAY DOWN the entire way so that you feel like you are flying! There is even a return line. You will be shuttled to the other line for your return flight when you are ready.
• Hiking – There are some amazing hiking trails around Castelmezzano, as you can probably expect just by looking at the geography.
• Via Ferrata and Nepalese Bridge – There is an amazing Via Ferrata at Castelmezzano, and the two starting points are connected by the Nepalese Bridge. As the name implies, it looks just like a bridge from Nepal, is 72 meters long and over 35 meters above the ground.
• Church of Santa Maria Dell’Olmo – The very center of the town is the Caizzo Square, and here you can find this amazing church with a 14th Century wooden statue of the Madonna and Child inside.
• Hike to Pietrapertosa – If you don’t want to try the zipline, then take the trail across to Pietrapertosa and check out their wonderful church, the Madre Di San Giocomo which has incredible 14th-15th century frescos, or their amazing 11th Century castle.

The town of Castelmezzano is a wonderful and authentic village that is steeped in history, and framed by some of the most amazing views in Southern Italy. There is plenty to see and do. Just take a walk!

How to get there

The only way to get to Castelmezzano is by road. The trip from Naples will take just over 2 hours. If you are coming from the other direction, it is about 2 hours from Bari.

If you are coming from Naples, you can get close to Castelmezzano by taking bus to Potenza. This is a very popular route, and once there you may be able to source transport the rest of the way, or even hire a car. For the best prices on the bus from Naples to Potenza, check out THIS LINK.

To find Castelmezzano, set your GPS for THIS location.

Upon approach to Castelmezzano, you may begin to think you have gone in the wrong direction. This is because the town does not reveal itself until the last second. The road passes through a tunnel, and upon exiting, the valley and view opens ahead of you, and Castelmezzano appears. It is quite dramatic, especially if you haven’t seen it before!

IF YOU are flying to Castelmezzano, the closet major International Airport is Milan. Domestically you can choose to fly to Bari. For the best airfares and options, check out Skyscanner at THIS LINK.

Where to stay

There are a surprisingly many places to stay at Castelmezzano. They are all extremely highly rated and most have amazing views. I personally don’t really think you can go wrong. Click the buttons below to view accommodation available in Castelmezzano through Agoda and Booking.com.

As per usual, however, I have done the legwork for you and sought out the best places in town anyway. Check out any of the links below for some of the best places in Castelmezzano.

Borgo dell’Angelo

Dimore dell’Olmo

Monserrat

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Summary

Castelmezzano is an amazing place to visit. It is unique, not only by Italian standards, but also by European and world standards. Personally, I love mountainous villages, and Castelmezzano holds a special appeal to me, much like Monte Lussari in the Italian north. I have never seen a place quite like Castelmezzano, and would recommend it for any traveler to visit, especially if you are in Southern Italy!

For more Hidden Gems in Italy, check out the link below!

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