Ever wondered what an Italian ghost town appears like? The answer is very very different from what American boomtown – ghost towns like Bodie in California look like. Craco is a ghost town in the southern Italian province of Matera that was abandoned right at the end from the Twentieth century.
Today it's a famous tourist attraction in southern Italy and is just waiting to become added to one's already brimming bucket listing of things to do and see in Italy. Italy is a country of seemingly endless wonders and history that, you would have it, would have a lifetime to do justice to.
Ancient Background and Abandonment of Craco
Craco has already established an extended good reputation for habitation with tombs there being dated from the 8th century BC. From around 540 BC the region became colonized by the Greeks because they moved inland using their coastal settlement of Metaponto.
- First Tombs: Dated Towards the 8th Century BC
- 540 BC: The Area Became Colonized by Greeks
The name is around 1,000 years old being traced back to 1060 AD – that that point the land was the possession of one Arnaldo, Archbishop of Tricarico. In 1276 there was a university established within the town and managed to reach a population of 2,590 in 1561.
- Population: Peaked at 2,590 in 1561 – Averaged around 1,500 Within the Centuries Thereafter
By around the turn from the century (1900), locals were leaving en mass for The united states mostly because of the poor agricultural conditions at Craco. Then in 1963, Craco started to be evacuated due to a series of landslides and also the remaining residents moved in to the valley of Craco Peschiera. These landslides were human-caused due to works of infrastructure, sewer, and water systems.
- Emigration: Most of the Inhabitants Left For The united states
A 1972 flood managed to get a whole lot worse after which in 1980 an earthquake left Craco completely abandoned.
Craco Today And What To Expect
It is located around 25 miles or 40 kilometers in the Gulf of Taranto and was built atop the rather steep 400-meter high summit for defensive purposes. The town center was built on the
