The Pollino National Park, which includes the Lucanian side, is a destination of unquestionable charm and beauty. The name is due to Mount Pollino, a peak that is part of the southern Apennines and which, according to some, for the Achaeans was the 'Mount of Apollo' (patron deity of medicine) because of the large quantity of medicinal herbs still present in the area. So large as to embrace mountains, valleys, villages and municipalities, it represents the green fulcrum of Lucania where you can find all the ancestral elements that have written its history. Immersing oneself in this land means entering a new dimension, at times wild, where the rhythms of nature and ancient customs dictate the rules of daily life.
The Pollino National Park covers an area of 192,000 hectares and stretches between southern Basilicata and northern Calabria. It is the largest protected area in Italy and includes towns and small villages surrounded by authentic and unspoilt nature.
The Pollino National Park has record numbers: it is the largest reserve in Italy and includes in its 192,565 hectares, two regions - Basilicata and Calabria - and 56 municipalities. The territory on the Lucano side is gentler than on the Calabrian side (more rugged and 'difficult') and is furrowed by several rivers, heights that are covered with snow in winter and four valleys: Valle del Mercure, Valle del Sarmento, Valle del Frido and Valle del Sinni. The park is a true paradise: its varied and uncontaminated ecosystem offers shelter to the Apennine wolf, the wild cat, the black owl and even the southern squirrel, which the lucky ones can see climbing centuries-old trees such as chestnuts, beeches and Loricate Pines. The latter are the true symbol of the Pollino Park: monumental and with a trunk that is now bristly, now sinuous and intertwined, they look like sculpted marble giants. The Pollino Park also includes ancient towns and villages distributed both on the coast and inland. Each of them has traditions and characteristics that guarantee their uniqueness. These include the Albanian (Arbereshe) communities, who arrived in Basilicata in the 15th century to defend themselves from the ancient Turkish invasions and who today live in characteristic villages, preserving their customs and culture.
The flavours of the Lucanian land are simple, yet rich in taste and encapsulate history, tradition and love for the land. In the geographical areas included in the Pollino Park, the main ingredients are those of the ancient communities of shepherds and farmers who still populate these lands: vegetables, pulses, and cheeses, all almost always enlivened by a spicy note. Perhaps one of the most characteristic dishes is the 'Raskatiello di Miskiglio', typical of the Serrapotamo Valley: a fresh, handmade pasta in the shape of thin cylinders: the flour is a mixture (hence the name of the dish) between wheat flour and broad bean flour, because, according to tradition, in 1600, following a period of famine due to the plague, wheat was too expensive, so it was decided to mix its flour with other, cheaper ones. Near Rotonda (PZ), on the other hand, the so-called 'Fagiolo Poverello' DOP is famous, white and smooth, excellent eaten in salads or soups. Meat and sausages are unmissable dishes in Basilicata and are still processed according to traditional methods: sopressata is one of them, to be eaten together with cruschi peppers from Senise fried in oil with potatoes and local cheese: among the excellent ones, we recommend Pedraccio del Pollino, a fresh cheese, and Pecorino di Filiano, crumbly and spicy, matured for 180 days and more inside tuffaceous caves. Concluding a meal with dessert, especially when travelling, is a must: in the Lucania Pollino area, the 'Calzoncelli' filled with chickpea and cocoa cream, almond biscuits and vino cotto, and the 'sanguinaccio', which boasts a long tradition, the perfect filling for cakes or tarts, are excellent.
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