Basilicata

History

The region was identified in ancient times as Lucania, due to the people of the name Lucanians (from the Latin "Lucus" - forest), who were the first known inhabitants. Samnite tribes whose origins date back to the area before the Greeks invaded the region in the 7th century BC. The Greeks established settlements of Siris, Metaponto and Heraclea, annexing the area to the broader region of Ancient Greece. To greeks brought the development of basic agricolture and the start of tradings.

From the second century BC, the area came under Roman rule. The Romans were the first to exploit the huge forests of the region, a process that continued for centuries and up to almost exhaust the natural resources of the region.

The Byzantines, who followed the Romans gave the name of Basilicata to the region (from "basilikos, imperial).

In later centuries the control passed to the Normans and the Swabians, and then later, in the thirteenth century, under the rule of Anjou, leading to the creation of a feudal system that has undermined hopes for an economic recovery for the region, which remained under extreme poverty.

After nearly a century of domination of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, in 1860 the Basilicata becomes part of the Kingdom of Italy. It was during this period that the state has confiscated and sold vast areas of land, previously owned by the Church. This has not brought any benefit the average citizen, who has not seen any immediate economic and social improvement since unification; in addition, the rivalry between Church and state has led it to encourage the phenomenon of banditry, under the false guise of rebellion against the nobility and the new Italian state.

The real improvement has been only after the Second World War thanks to land reform. Despite the efforts of the state to encourage the population to remain in the region, the demographic crisis continued: many residents of the Basilicata region were, in fact, already emigrated or were about to emigrate.