Satriano di Lucania
Satriano di Lucania: the city of murals
If you're looking for a place where you can find an abundance of murals, Satriano di Lucania might be the right place for you. With 410 murals as of 2019, the town has been dubbed the "Italian capital of murals." But it's not just this that makes Satriano di Lucania a wonderful place to visit.
Physical geography
Satriano di Lucania extends across the slopes of three rocks: the Castle, the Piesco, and the Madonna della Rocca. It is located on the banks of the Melandro River, along the ancient Herculean Way, which was built by the Romans to connect the Trajan Way to the Pompilia Way. The town is situated in the Southern Apennines, in the Melandro Valley, and is connected to the Diano Valley through a pass towards Brienza, to Potenza through the Basento Valley, and to Campania through the Melandro Valley. The municipality covers an area of approximately 33.02 km² and is located at about 653 m above sea level. It is classified as a mountain municipality.
Earthquakes
Satriano di Lucania is located in a high-risk seismic zone, with high seismicity and frequent small earthquakes. Within a 30 km radius, there are about 2 seismic events of magnitude less than 4 every month. In the last 2000 years, there have been about 29 major seismic events within a 30 km radius. Among these, the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.9, had its epicenter between Teora, Castelnuovo di Conza, and Conza della Campania, just 45.48 km from Satriano.
The history of the name
Satriano di Lucania, formerly called Pietrafesa, changed its name to strengthen its historical ties with the ancient Lucanian city of Satriano, whose archaeological remains are nearby. In 1887, the municipality decided to change the name to Satriano and add "di Lucania" to highlight its geographical significance as a municipality belonging to the historic region of Lucania.
Places of interest
In addition to the beauty of the murals, Satriano di Lucania has much more to offer. The Ralle Woods to the south of the town hosts several artificial lakes where sport fishing can also be practiced. The city also houses numerous churches, such as the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Church of San Giovanni Battista, and the Church of Madonna delle Grazie.
Conclusion
In short, Satriano di Lucania is a small town in the Italian region of Basilicata that offers many attractions, especially for street art enthusiasts. With an abundance of murals scattered throughout the town, curious tourists will be delighted to discover every corner of this creative city. But the city also offers natural and historical places that will delight art, fishing, and history enthusiasts.
