Noepoli
Discover Noepoli, the new city in Basilicata
Noepoli, formerly known as Noja until 1863, is a small town located in Basilicata, 676 meters above sea level. With its 767 inhabitants, Noepoli boasts a strategic location that allows it to border other municipalities such as Cersosimo, Chiaromonte, San Costantino Albanese, San Giorgio Lucano, San Paolo Albanese, Senise, Valsinni, and Colobraro.
Physical geography
Noepoli is the seat of the Val Sarmento mountain community and, together with the municipality of San Costantino Albanese, includes the Farneta forest, famous for its mushrooms and chestnuts.
History
The origins of Noepoli date back to the 8th century BC-7th century BC when an Enotrian or Lucanian settlement with an attached necropolis was formed. The oldest trace of the center, then called ''Noja'', is a document from 1133 when the city's fief belonged to the county of Chiaromonte owned by the Sanseverino family. In the fifteenth century, with the erection of a castle, Noja became an important strategic center in the Val Sarmento mountain community. The city entered the ''demanio regio'' in 1404, rewarded for its neutrality during a feudal revolt against the monarchy. In 1553, the city was sold to the Pignatelli family. Subsequently, the hamlets of ''San Costantino Albanese'', ''San Paolo Albanese'', ''Terranova di Pollino'', and ''San Giorgio Lucano'' were annexed to Noja. In 1863, Noja changed its name to ''Noepoli'' ("new city" in Greek).
The Noepoli community paid a sad tribute to the migration phenomena that hit Italy at the beginning of the twentieth century: some of the numerous Lucanian victims of the most serious mining incident ever occurred in the United States, which took place on December 6, 1907, in Monongah, West Virginia, were from Noepoli.
Monuments and places of interest
If you are planning a visit to Noepoli, you cannot miss some of its most important monuments:
Castle: built in the fifteenth century, today it is the seat of the Municipality. ''Piazza Marconi'', called ''la torretta'' by the people, opens on the site of one of its towers. The castle is adorned with a beautiful rock portal, with decorations from the eighteenth century.
Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: rebuilt in the fifteenth century in Romanesque style, it was restored in 1953. The three internal naves are separated by Doric style columns. The bell tower has a square platform, then an octagonal dome and another pyramidal one that houses three bells. The pinnacle is a trigonometric reference point for the carabinieri. Inside, there are the wooden statues of the Immaculate Conception from the eighteenth century, Saint Dominic, and Saint Francis of Assisi from the seventeenth century. In a niche lies a fresco of the Madonna with Child from the sixteenth-seventeenth century. The baptismal font from the fifteenth century is remarkable.
Noepoli is an ideal destination for lovers of history and archaeology, as they offer the opportunity to learn about the region's millennia-old culture. Thanks to the archaeological finds on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Siritide in Policoro, it is possible to learn about the origins of the Enotrian or Lucanian settlement with its necropolis.
Conclusions
Noepoli is a picturesque town in Basilicata that boasts a rich history and offers multiple tourist attractions. The medieval castle and the Romanesque church are just some of the attractive tourist destinations that this location has to offer. The city is in a unique position that allows visitors to explore the natural beauty of the area, such as the Farneta forest. A visit to Noepoli is definitely an experience not to be missed for anyone wishing to discover the wonders of the region.
