Craco

The name of the town appears for the first time in 1060. Arnaldo, Archbishop of Tricarico, was the owner of the lands. From 1154 to 1168, the nobleman Eberto gained control of the settlement and created the first feudal dependencies. In 1276 a university was founded in the town. In this period was also built the castle tower. Under Frederick II Craco was an important military center. By the 15th century, four large palazzi had been built in the town and with the construction of the Monastery of St. Pietro in 1630, a monastic order was permanently established.

By now Craco is a ghost town. Between 1959 and 1972, Craco was almost destroyed by a series of landslides. In 1963, the town had to be evacuated. The landslides were probably triggered by work on the sewage system and water supply. After the earthquake in 1980, the old town of Craco was finally abandoned.