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Siritide

One of the scientific disciplines whose outcome is the most uncertain and the most difficult to prove is the etymology of places. In the case of Matera for example, the most fanciful and meaningless hypotheses have been formulated. One would suppose in particular that the inhabitants of the Ionian coast, after having abandoned Metaponte and Heraclae, took refuge along Gravina of Matera and founded Matera whose name would be the combination of MET-HERA. In fact, the old name was Mathera. One could take into consideration the fact that Spartacus in 72 BC occupied Lucania yet the two ancient Greek colonies were looted and abandoned, but it is more likely that the old populations fled to the immediate interior. However, the name Siritide has its origins in the name of the ancient Siris, pre-existing Greek colony at Eraclea, the ruins of which have not yet been discovered even if other inexact science like the etymology, archeology, suggests that Siris and Heraclea occupied the same site. Leaving the Ionian coast and up the hills, there is the sanctuary of Anglona. The old town has disappeared (XIV c.) but a beautiful church survives and from the top of its hill, offers an extraordinary panorama. Here, it is assumed that Anglona could have been the legendary Pandosia, capital of the Lucanian people before the Roman conquest. A little further inside, we find Tursi with Rabatana, of incontestable Arab origin even if we think that it was founded by the Goths during their brief domination between the 5th and 6th centuries AD. Our journey continues until we reach the land of magic: Colobraro. Magic Lucania ... every corner treats us with surprises and magnificent views. To finish our itinerary, a little further along the Sinni river rises Valsinni, the old Favale, where in the old castle the soul of the young poet Isabella Morra still wanders.
This is another journey through time and the soul.

Destinations

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Heraclea

Heraklea (in Greek Ἡράκλεια, Herakleia; in Latin Heraclea or Heracleia) was an ancient city of the Magna Grecia Lucana, located near the current Policoro, province of Matera. It was founded by the colonists Tarantini and Thurioti around 434 BC, after a war that had seen them as enemies. The city is located on a hill between the Agri and Sinni rivers on the remains of the city of Siris, and in 374 BC. it was chosen as the capital of the Italiota League in place of Thurii which had fallen into the hands of the Lucani. Subsequently, an urban agglomeration will be created on the coast with the name of Siris, which, however, with the ancient Siris has only onomastic but not topographical continuity.
In 280 BC the city was the scene of the battle of Heraklea between Taranto and Rome.

Tursi

Those who arrive in Tursi may notice that its territory is divided into different districts, each well defined and with precise peculiarities. The oldest and most famous of these is the Rione Rabitana, built around the Castle between the 5th and 6th centuries, literally surrounded on each side by deep and inaccessible ravines, those that make up the fantastic world of Albino Pierro's “Jaramme”. It was the Goths who built the Castle around which the first stone houses were built, making the Rabitana the first inhabited nucleus of Tursi which, thanks to its excellent defensive position, continued to grow until it became a populated and important center, which preserves traditions and spreads the local culture. The poet Albino Pierro made Rabatana the source of inspiration for his poetry. Here you can retrace the narrow streets of the ruins of the original nucleus with the poor houses that often included only a room on the ground floor.

Colobraro

It will happen to hear, at the pronunciation "Colobraro", that this town of the province of Matera is "unnameable", of those to ... avoid, a town that brings bad luck, in short! Colobraro, on the other hand, is a nice hamlet that has made its strong point out of this reputation by building a successful event around the "slander" entitled "One night's dream in that town", during which, ironically on the irreverent fame of the town, the visitor is guided along a fun but exciting, fascinating but lively path to discover the town.

Valsinni

Suspended between the sea and the mountains, very close to each other, Valsinni, until 1873 was called "Favale" and lies  on the right bank of the Sinni river. The village is overlooked by the feudal castle where the young poet Isabella Morra was born and lived, albeit for a very short time. Around the manor, where the voice and the tears of the unfortunate woman still seem to resonate, the alleys of the ancient village wind in concentric and overlapping rows. The houses, separated from each other by the characteristic "gafii", a vaulted covered opening that passes beneath, make this small town look as an evocative tangle of alleys and narrow streets, where the Mother Church dedicated to the Assumption and Palazzo Mauri stand out, with the latter containing an ancient mill inside

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