Basilicata: Venosa

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Venosa was an important Samnite town calledVenusia. You’ll enjoy this hilltop town and its history. This is the birthplace of Horace/Orazio (the Roman poet, in 65 BC)……the fascinating town is situated on the edge of the Vulture Mountains. The charming center has many interesting buildings and twisting streets. Venosa also has a grand castle (in the Piazza Umberto — the main square) which was built in the 15^th century and now houses a small local archaeology museum (Lapidarium Venusium). The 17^th century duomo has a lovely interior and there are interesting marble reliefs on the campanile/bell tower. Make sure you see the fountains in town, the Angevin and the Romanesca (ornate and lovely). The remains/ruins of ancient baths, an amphitheater and a basilica can also be found in Venosa (very interesting). Next to the ruins is an amazing 11^th century abbey — Abbazia della Trinita. This grouping of buildings includes the abbey and two churches (one completed, the other not completed — Chiesa Vecchia and Chiesa Nuova). They are memorable and haunting. The construction of the abbey was thought to be one of the largest undertakings in the south of Italy — all Norman (this is a must see). As a matter of fact, the tombs of several of the Norman brothers are located here. In and among the ruins you’ll find some Jewish writings and symbols — this town has a history of Judaism (and still does today). There are some catacombs just outside of the church area that you can visit (Jewish and Christian). This is a cool and interesting town. The 1^st and 3^rd Thursday in the month are market days in Venosa.