Calvello between religious pilgrimages and artisan excellence

To get to this village you have to climb up to an altitude of 730 metres, in the heart of the Lucano Val d'Agri Lagonegrese Apennine National Park, in a municipal area that boasts around 4,500 hectares of woods and has in chestnut groves one of the characteristic elements of the local economy and landscape. The chestnut is in fact the basis of several typical products, including 'pastatelle', and is also the main protagonist of the festival dedicated to the products of the undergrowth, which takes place between late October and early November each year. Calvello's Benedictine origins are documented by the presence of the coenoby of San Pietro and the convent complex of Santa Maria de Plano; the list of historical monuments also includes the ancient bridge at the entrance to the village and the places linked to the anti-Bourbon uprisings of 1821-22, starting with the church of the Madonna degli Angeli. The village's other great boast is the ministerial title of artistic Lucanian 'City of Ceramics' and the original nucleus of this tradition is the 'il Vallone' district, today enhanced through an open-air exhibition itinerary that integrates handicraft production objects and active workshops that allow visitors to directly experience the techniques of potter's wheel work. Among the cultural experiences to be had in Calvello is the 'Talking Portals' route, an itinerary among decorative architectural elements reinterpreted through narrative installations. Finally, in terms of nature, the attraction not to be missed is the ascent to Mount Saraceno, the destination of religious pilgrimages that take place in May and September.