Craco Ghost Town in Basilicata – Why It Was Abandoned

Ghost towns in Italy are nothing unusual. Young people leave underdeveloped areas in search of better opportunities, rarely go back and towns and villages with older populations are emptying out. From time to time, nature also gets angry and causes a place to become depopulated. And sometimes human carelessness can reduce a town to rubble. Craco has experienced exactly this: nature finished the destruction started by humans.

Where Is Craco and How to Get There

Craco  in Basilicata  stands on top of a whitish rocky hill just 50 km from the famous neighboring Matera. The drive can take over an hour, as the road is not the best.

However, you can reach Craco from Pisticci in just 20 minutes, but nobody visits Pisticci—Matera steals all the tourists. You can also risk the journey by bus, but I’ve had some funny experiences with public transport in Italy, so I’d rather stick with the car. The choice, of course, is yours.

Driving to Craco: A Note About GPS in Italy

GPS in Italy, especially in less touristy, less developed areas, tends to be silly or just trying to be incredibly useful — it always suggests shortcuts saving a few minutes or kilometers. And often the road is in such condition that you’d be better off driving a tank. It’s also doable by car, of course, particularly if you don’t mind testing your chassis.

The History of Craco: From Prosperous Town to Landslides

Centuries ago, the town, famous for its wheat production, was inhabited mainly by farmers. At its peak, 2,000 people lived there. The name of the town in theory comes from the ravens that nest there. There’s another version, according to the guide, saying that the name is an Old Germanic word meaning nomen omen, cracking.

The old part of Craco was built on rock by its first inhabitants, but the newer houses were built on clay hills. Clay is excellent for making pottery and other things; to be a solid base for a settlement, it must remain untouched.

You can probably guess what could have happened in the town. Supplying water to it, pouring toilet waste from windows onto the streets, rain and wind… The clay became plastic and was no longer a solid base for Craco — the houses started moving.

Why Was Craco Abandoned?

The first documented landslide in the town happened in 1888. Then, after sixty years and a few days of heavy rain, another one occurred, causing the first cracks in the houses. Over time the situation worsened, so residents began to be evacuated; almost all of them left in the early 1970s. Almost all, because about 100 inhabitants still lived in the “rocky” part of the town. But the town also got rid of them. After the earthquake in Irpinia in 1980, even the most resilient residents decided to leave. And so it became an abandoned town. Actually not entirely abandoned, as there are donkeys and sheep living in Craco ghost town in Basilicata.

Is Craco Worth Visiting?

Many people find Craco beautiful and fascinating, but I don’t share that opinion. I expected something very moving (not the clay though) while exploring the ruins, which witnessed many human tragedies, but I just thought, “OK, ghost town, there are plenty of them in Italy.” Some of the fallen buildings are quite picturesque, though, and I liked the view from the town.

Does that mean it’s not worth visiting? Nope, it’s worth visiting, especially if you’re into in ghost towns. The town’s history is interesting, and the ruins are so compelling that Mel Gibson filmed The Passion of the Christ there, but it was simply not my place. I wouldn’t say that Craco ghost town in Basilicata is one of those must-see places. But that’s just me, and everyone has (and should have) different tastes.

Practical Information for Visiting Craco Ghost Town in Basilicata:

• The museum park is open from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
• Buy a ticket at the office in the former monastery building. You’ll find it next to the small parking lot, where there’s a sign with the handwritten inscription “Biglietteria.”
• Tickets cost 11 euros per person (last price). With a more expensive ticket (I think 13 euros), you can also visit the museum in the monastery.
• The entrance to Craco is about a 10-minute walk from the ticket office. Follow the paved road along the ruins until you reach the gate.
• Guided tours of the ruins last an hour and depart hourly. The guides speak some English. You’ll be given a helmet at the entrance, as a piece of debris might occasionally fall on your head.
• On the way, you might encounter shepherd dogs, whose owners don’t necessarily pay attention to them.
• Craco is full of stairs, so wear comfortable shoes.
• I always carry a bottle of water with me.