Is Maratea the Tyrrhenian Pearl You’ve Been Dreaming Of?
The enchanting Maratea makes its strategic position a nodal point, as it is the only and direct outlet of Basilicata to the Tyrrhenian Sea, framed by some of the most beautiful beaches of Basilicata.
Nestled in the voluptuous lands of the province of Potenza, it is a town overlooking the Gulf of Policastro, a Mediterranean gem fully canonized by a landscape of acclaimed charm that smiles on a fortunately incessant summer tourism. Credit both to the urban center and the coast, heterogeneous as regards the dense presence of enchanted coves, fairy-tale caves, romantic inlets, graceful beaches, and rough promontories of timeless thickness. Such variety stimulates the desires of potential visitors, who in the long run cannot resist the flattery of the Lucanian area, which even in its hinterland shows the fervor of an ancient Maratea, industrious in the past as in the present.
Maratea’s Coastal Charms: The Main Fractions
Of course, the saltwater magnetizes attention, attracting scuba diving and snorkeling enthusiasts, who would never miss the wonderful seabeds where submerged vegetation and marine fauna fill a polychrome portrait that seems to have been made by a divine painter. Along the coast, different fractions are concentrated, which are pieces of a puzzle in its unique whole, where everything fits perfectly in a harmony of colors, orographic outlines, and morphological ideas unique in the sea of Basilicata.
Acquafredda is remembered, for example, for the stays of the early twentieth-century statesman Francesco Saverio Nitti in the villa of the same name that he purchased and renovated. Fiumicello is home to the first 5-star hotel in southern Italy, Santavenere, which has earned international fame with its respectability and impeccable services. In Castrocucco arose the only castle dating back to the feudal era, today very dusty and ruined by time. Massa welcomes the best of the local population and is distinguished by its rich agricultural production aimed at accentuating the dairy culture, a harbinger of fine cheeses and dairy products with guaranteed genuineness.
History and Origins of Maratea
As far as the etymology of the name is concerned, Maratea lends itself to various hypotheses, all credible and curious, which claim that it derives from thea maris (goddess of the sea), Sea of Thea (City of the Great Aetheans), or simply Marathia, meaning “the fennel” given the thick presence of wild fennel, which would therefore explain the acquired toponym.
In ancient times, the town was nothing more than a settlement that later developed into an outpost for supplying food supplies facing the sea. Subsequently, with the delineation of a village formed in all its main aspects, Maratea rose to become an important hub of medieval life in the region, but a little more internal than centuries before, protected by a system of fortifications based on the Castle located on the upper part to stand as an indefatigable bastion.
The official year of birth of the municipality is 1079, but we are still talking about the original nucleus, very different from the current one, which declined in its original form after the siege of the fortress by the transalpine troops in 1806—a historical event that revolutionized the entire location and layout of the town, today much more accommodating and close to the sea.
What to See in Maratea: A Village Full of Wonders
How is the historic center of the town offered to tourists today? First of all, as a formidable container of churches, which in the territory of Maratea are 44. Among these, some are cloaked in rare beauty, nestling in the town as if they had always existed among the houses and alleys. See the Church of the Annunciation, with its sixteenth-century appearance, proud bell tower, and dome with green and yellow majolica tiles. A stone’s throw away, right in the middle of Via San Pietro, is the Column of Saint Blaise, found at sea and surmounted by a sculpture of the Saint, probably a work of the Neapolitan school.
The Church of the Addolorata dates back to the 17th century and holds wonders, especially inside, dotted with works such as the altar with polychrome marble inlays, the 18th-century statue of the Madonna, and the canvas reproducing the Martyrdom of San Biagio, with the Deposition by the local painter Angelo Brando taking pride of place on the ceiling. The Church of the Immaculate, also from the 18th century, has a crypt that boasts a 14th-century fresco depicting the Christian apostles.
The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore is objectively the richest in notable architectural elements and fabulous furnishings—the wooden choir built between the 15th and 17th centuries, the alabaster statue of the Madonna degli Angeli, the wooden statues, the sculpted polychromes, and the paintings of the Immaculate Conception and the Trinity.
Christ the Redeemer: Maratea’s Majestic Symbol
Moving away from the center and climbing to the top of Monte San Biagio, you come across the majestic statue of Christ the Redeemer, sculpted by the Florentine Bruno Innocenti: 22 meters high, with an arm span of 19 meters, and a face 3 meters wide. It is second in height only to the statue atop Corcovado mountain near Rio de Janeiro.
Right in front stands the Basilica of San Biagio, whose foundations date back to the 6th century. In its lap lies the urn with the relics of San Biagio, which have been in Maratea since 732 AD. The statue of the Saint is carried in procession on the Thursday before the second Sunday of May, and upon returning to the Sanctuary, exactly on Sunday, the exudation of manna from the Reliquary, the columns, and the marbles of the chapel is said to occur (but not every year).
The Beaches of Maratea: Nature’s Treasures
Returning to the coastal area, it should be noted that in 2016, d’i Vranne Beach deservedly won the Legambiente competition according to user votes. The Tyrrhenian pearl of Lucania, however, boasts the permanence of a much more famous and characteristic cove, namely Cala Jannita near the islet of Santo Janni—an inlet better known as Spiaggia Nera because of the very dark sand that almost looks like ash.
It is a truly romantic place because from here the Sciabella Cave opens up wonderfully, inside which there is a tiny beach isolated from everything and everyone—a place where, according to legend, the adulteress Isabella met her end at the hands of her husband upon the discovery of her love affair.
How to Reach Maratea
By car from the north, you can take the A3 Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway, exiting at Lagonegro Nord-Maratea to take the SS 585. From the south, the exit from the A3 is Lauria sud. The train station is in Maratea along the Rome-Naples-Reggio Calabria line. The available buses belong to SITA SpA. The reference airport is Lamezia Terme, approximately 150 km from the town.
