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Venosa


Prehistoric site, archaeological park, Jewish-Christian catacombs, historic houses, museums and churches: this is the vast and diverse plan of cultural offerings that the City makes available to tourists of visitors. A plunge into the past on the traces of a great cultural wealth, in the myth of the great poet Horace Flaccus, on the notes of the prince of musicians and madrigalist Carlo Gesualdo.
  • Village with castle
  • Suitable for disabled people
  • Camper parking area
  • Most beautiful villages in Italy
  • City of wine
Venosa  |
Venosa
Venosa  |
Venosa
Venosa  |
Venosa
Venosa  |
Venosa
Venosa  | Enrico Deputato/flickr
Venosa
Enrico Deputato/flickr
Venosa  |
Venosa
Venosa  | martino peloso/flickr
Venosa
martino peloso/flickr
Venosa  | Rosario Mancino/flickr
Venosa
Rosario Mancino/flickr
Venosa  | Fabrizio Buoso/flickr
Venosa
Fabrizio Buoso/flickr
Venosa  | Fabrizio Buoso/flickr
Venosa
Fabrizio Buoso/flickr
Venosa  | Peter Boutin/flickr
Venosa
Peter Boutin/flickr
Venosa, home of the Latin poet Orazio.  | Gianni  Lazazzera - e-borghi Community
Venosa, home of the Latin poet Orazio.
Gianni Lazazzera - e-borghi Community

About the village

Home of the Latin poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, Venosa is located in the Vulture-Melfese region of Basilicata.
The origin of the name is to be found in the reason for its founding, which took place in honor of the goddess Venus. Traces found together with remains of a Neolithic necropolis, found in the Toppo d'Aguzzo locality in Rapolla in the vicinity of the Venosa territory, certify human presence in the Venosa territory since prehistoric times. Much of this evidence can be found at the "Paleolithic Park" in Notarchirico.

Rich artistic jewels and fine architecture can be admired from the moment one enters the town, between the Trinity Church and the adjoining Unfinished, sacred places strongly linked to the origin of the Norman dynasty, the nearby Archaeological Park, until you reach the heart of its historic center where the majestic Pirro del Balzo Castle (home of the National Archaeological Museum) dominates, and then discover, just outside the town the Jewish catacombs near the Christian ones, evidence of the presence of a substantial Jewish community between the 4th and 9th centuries.
Not to be missed, then, are the cathedral of St. Andrew the Apostle, the Paleolithic prehistoric site of Notarchirico, among the oldest in Europe, the so-called House of Horace, several historic palaces and fountains, such as the Angevin one, or of the Pilieri, right in front of the castle, erected in 1298.

Venosa is the scene of events of varied inspiration, cultural, religious and gastronomic, at all times of the year, such as on the occasion of "Aglianica," which for almost two decades in the Vulture-Melfese area has celebrated Aglianico Doc.

History

The town, probably founded by Latin peoples, was wrested from the Samnites by the Romans in 291 B.C. by Consul Lucius Postumius Megellus, who made it a Latin colony, where some 20,000 individuals moved in.
During the Second Punic War, in 208, the consul Marcus Claudius Marcellus died there, attacked by Hannibal during a reconnaissance. In 190 B.C. the foundation of the Appian Way is an occasion for strong development of the center, and in 89 B.C. it received the title of Municipium (Roman city), obtaining the right to vote and citizenship for its inhabitants.
In 65 B.C., Quintus Horatius Flaccus, one of the most distinguished poets of ancient times who later emigrated to Rome, was born and spent his adolescence in the municipium. In 43 B.C. it was subject to a new dedication by the triumvirs, who expropriated its ager publicus land, redistributing it among veterans.
With the imperial age, in the early periods of the advent of Christianity (around 70 AD), one of the first Jewish communities in Italy settled in Venosa, which managed to integrate with the local population. A testimony to this coexistence is the Magdalene Hill, where both Semitic and Christian burials are located in its hollows.
In 114 AD the Via Traiana was opened, which connected Benevento and Brindisi but did not touch Venosa, bringing disadvantageous economic consequences for the city. With the fall of the Roman Empire and the consequent advent of the medieval era, Venosa was subject to repeated occupation by barbarian populations from the 5th century.

In 476 the Heruli of Odoacer invaded the town, while the Ostrogoths, in 493, transformed it into an administrative, political and economic center, a title later bestowed on Acerenza. Between 570 and 590, the Lombards elected it the seat of a gastaldate; in 842 the town was sacked by the Saracens, who, in turn, were driven out by Ludwig II, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
This was followed by the Byzantines, who were defeated, during the Battle of the Olivento River, by Arduinus' Normans in 1041. During Norman rule, Venosa was assigned to Drogone of Altavilla. Also noteworthy is the presence of Greeks around 980 AD, evidenced by the monastery of "San Nicola di Morbano."
In 1133, Venosa was sacked and set on fire by Roger II of Sicily. With the coming of the Swabians, Frederick II had a castle built, erected on a site where there was an 11th-century Lombard fort. In 1232, the future Swabian emperor Manfred, son of Frederick II and Bianca Lancia, was born in Venosa.

After a continuous succession of feudal lords, the city was granted as a fief to the Orsini in 1453. After the Angevins, the Aragonese of the Gesualdo family settled, who became feudal lords and princes of Venosa in 1561, making the city an important center of cultural, intellectual and artistic activity.
It was during this period that Prince Carlo Gesualdo, one of the most prestigious musicians of his time but also one of the most controversial, lived; the composer is said to have taken refuge in his feud of Gesualdo after having murdered, in Naples, his bride (as well as cousin) Maria d'Avalos, guilty of having betrayed him with the duke of Andria, Fabrizio Carafa. In 1808, Venosa became the third city with the most possessions in Basilicata, after Melfi and Matera, as well as having active and passive rights in the Napoleonic National Parliament.
In 1820, it played a small role in the peasant uprisings and the Carbonari uprisings. With the unification of Italy, in 1861 it was conquered by the brigands of the Rionerese Carmine Crocco, who, after defeating the garrison of the Venosian National Guard, were welcomed and supported by the local population. During the occupation Francesco Saverio Nitti, grandfather of the eponymous southerner, was killed.

Village of Venosa
Municipality of Venosa
Province of Potenza
Basilicata Region

Inhabitants: 11.837 venosini
Center Altitude: 415 m s.l.m.

The Municipality is part of:  
I Borghi più belli d'Italia
Città del vino

Municipality
Via Vittorio Emanuele 198 - Tel. 0972-308611

= distances as the crow flies

BY CAR

  • From the North: take the A14 motorway and exit at the Foggia junction. Take the SS 655 Bradanica, Foggia - Matera, and exit at Venosa sud. Or take the A1 highway. At the Caserta junction, merge onto the A16 Napoli - Canosa and exit at Candela. Take the SS 655 Foggia - Matera and exit at the Venosa sud junction.
  • From the south: take the Salerno - Reggio Calabria motorway, exit at Sicignano and deviate for the motorway junction: Sicignano - Potenza. Merge onto the SS 658 Potenza - Melfi. Exit at the junction for Barile-Ginestra-Venosa and follow the signs.
  • From Bari: follow the Naples direction on the highway to the Cerignola Ovest exit; then follow the signs for Venosa.
  • From Matera: take the SP 6 towards SP 8, take the SS 655 towards SP 25 - Spinazzola, exit at Palazzo S.G. and continue for Spinazzola / Lavello / Candela / Foggia SS 168, take the S.P. 25 towards Lavello / Venosa, exit at Venosa sud / Montemilone, continue on the S.P. Ofantina direction Venosa.

BY PLANE

  • Bari airport
  • Naples airport

Venosa, together with other villages of the Vulture, such as Genzano di Lucania, Barile, Melfi, Rionero, Acerenza, Ripacandida and Rapolla, produces Aglianico del Vulture DOC, considered one of the best Italian red wines. The vine was brought to Italy by Greek colonists and the Romans exploited it to produce Falerno wine. Venosa also hosted several editions of the Aeganica, a national wine show that promotes local produce (other municipalities where the event is held are Rionero, Barile and Melfi). Renowned & egrave; also extra virgin olive oil, also produced in other Vulture areas. Venosa has many typical dishes:

  • Lagane and Ceci . Lagane is a type of hard-wheat flour-based tagliatelle gi & agrave; known in ancient Rome. They are obtained from a circular leaf, rolled on skeptics; same and cut into strips with a diameter of about one centimeter. They are made with chickpeas, olive oil, peeled tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. - Pears seasoned with squash, li> - Homemade pasta, tongue and palate. The beefies are prepared with a sauce made up of pieces of mixed meat such as pork, veal and sausage, in addition to onion, pecorino, olive oil and salt. This sauce, which is usually prepared during large party occasions, was also said of the "mom" for the care she had devoted to cooking it since the early hours of the morning.
  • U cutturidd - Sheep meat (or lamb) cut into large pieces, seasoned with small and ripe tomatoes, chili peppers, cut potatoes and onions, garlic, , parsley, olive oil and salt. All the ingredients, in addition to water, are cooked in a slow cooked terracotta pan.
  • Fried Lampascioni - Small fried wild onions with olive oil and seasoned with garlic, spicy chilli and salt.
  • Pizzicannelli - Dark-colored sweets, made with cocoa, cinnamon, almonds (shelled, abbrustolite and ground), grated lemon peel, and sugar.
  • Raffaelli - White-colored sweets covered with icing made with egg and sugar.

  • After Pentecost - Holy Trinity Day . One of the Most Popular Parties; representative of the hamlet of Venosa, takes place at the church of the Most Holy Trinity Church.
  • August - Ciammarichidd Festival , or the lumachlers. The festival sees the protagonists of the typical products, along with some folk groups.
  • Certified Horatianum - Translation and historical-literary translation of the works of Orazio, held each year at the headquarters of the State High School "Q. Orazio Flacco" .

Sleep, eat, buy...

= distances as the crow flies
= distances as the crow flies
= distances as the crow flies
= distances as the crow flies

Events

friday
29
march, 2024

Sacred Representation of Good Friday in Venosa

sunday
7
july, 2024

Feast of Our Lady of Thanksgiving

friday
16
august, 2024

St. Rocco's Feast

Our news about Venosa

It is from the capital of Lucania that we leave for two of the most beautiful towns in the region. Acerenza and Venosa are villages very different from each other but both very fascinating. Located in the north of the region, land of plateaus and valleys, continuous alternation of areas characterized by dense vegetation, cultivated areas and vast expanses of grassland, but also an area dotted with tiny villages often clinging to the hills and...
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What is the symbol of Venosa, ancient hamlet of Basilicata? Certainly the well-known Latin poet
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