♪ ♪ -I'm Alessandra Poli.

I'm Italian, and I've been traveling to every corner of Italy, discovering the hidden gems of this beautiful country.

"Passion Italy" is my way to share them with you.

♪ The real Italy?

It's a love for stunning landscapes, the creativity to transform paper into art, the soul to give voice to age-old techniques, the imagination of painting with thread, the magic of partaking in a peculiar parade, and tasting some of the best wines in the region.

Matera is certainly the best-known site in Basilicata, but this region in Italy's center has much more to offer.

Let's discover it together on today's "Passion Italy."

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This almost unknown region of southern Italy lies between Calabria and Apulia.

Our journey will begin in the wine capital of Rionero in Vulture.

Then we will travel to the hilltop town of Avigliano.

From there, we will climb up to medieval Acerenza.

Our adventure we will end in picturesque Matera.

♪ Basilicata is an almost otherworldly landscape with its intense green mountain ranges, dense forests, and villages that seem to sprout spontaneously from the granite.

If you are looking for wilderness, silence, and pure air, Basilicata's three breathtaking national parks leave you truly spoiled for choice.

But Basilicata is also steeped in history dating back to the Paleolithic age.

In every small village, you will find architectural wonders, all witness to a tumultuous past.

Lucanians, Greeks, French, Spanish, and Arabs are only some of the invaders who marched through the land over the ages.

The regional cuisine, full of scents and tastes, has also been influenced by its history and cultural roots.

I'm sure you won't be disappointed in choosing Basilicata as your next vacation destination.

[ Birds chirping ] Rionero in Vulture rises right on the slopes of Mount Vulture, surrounded by natural beauty and fascinating history.

The red wine from this valley was already appreciated by the ancient Greeks and venerated by the Latin poet Oratio.

Today, Rionero is one of the main wine-production centers of Aglianico del Vulture.

Gerardo Giuratrabocchetti is a wine maker.

He inherited from his grandfather the passion and the vineyards, from his father the perseverance and respect for ancient traditions.

Today, his Aglianico wine is a perfect expression of Vulture terroir with its elegant and powerful taste.

Its ruby-garnet color is very appealing.

I really enjoyed it accompanied by some local specialties and the good company, of course.

Cantine del Notaio is one of the 1,250 wine cellars that run under the city.

It was once used by the Franciscan fathers in the 1600s.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The first archeological finds testify Avigliano's medieval origins.

It was dominated by several rulers, but it was under the Normans between the 11th and the 12th centuries that Avigliano reached its peak.

This land became infamous during the 19th century for the brigands who, hidden in the countryside, terrorized the population.

Only with a local as a guide can you really feel the soul of a place.

Annangela Lovallo is mine around Avigliano.

People are so friendly and open, always ready for a chat.

Annangela goes against the grain by making a living from embroidery, which, for many, is nowadays only a hobby.

With incredible talent and passion, she enhances this craft, embellishing it, and creates minute works of art.

It is quite moving to see Annangela together with her mother, who she considers the master, working side-by-side.

♪ -[ Laughs ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ Drums play ] ♪ -Only 40 miles from Avigliano, the Arab-Norman town of Tricarico hosts one of Italy's most peculiar Carnivals.

The first parade takes place at dawn on the 17th of January, in honor of Saint Antonio Abate, protector of animals.

♪ ♪ The village is awakened by the joyful parade that moves around the streets in a sort of tribal dance.

The Carnival recalls the ancient tradition of transhumance when the herd was moved from the mountain to the downhill meadows.

♪ ♪ ♪ [ Singing in Italian ] ♪ The masks represent cows and bulls, both managed by the cowherd.

The first ones are adorned with multicolored ribbons, in the past made of leather.

The bulls wear black costumes and masks.

♪ ♪ Their bells resonate all together, creating a mixed-up rhythm and a noisy but festive atmosphere.

♪ ♪ [ Water trickling ] ♪ The spectacular Dolomiti Lucane are the stage curtains to an abandoned hamlet that tells the story of Count Teodoro Rendina and his utopia.

We're in 1741.

The Count determines to repopulate the small village of Campomaggiore.

He has an ambitious plan -- building a country without poverty.

♪ He developed a real passion for the project and commissioned the architect Giovanni Patturelli.

Every peasant who moved to Campomaggiore would have been entitled to have a piece of land to build his house and right to cut wood, but for every tree chopped down, three fruit trees would have been planted in their place.

His idea was successful, and in 1885, the town reached more than 1,500 inhabitants.

Unfortunately, a massive landslide razed Campomaggiore and with it the Count's utopian dream.

A place dense in mystery and charm that is definitely worth visiting.

♪ I continue my trip in the heart of Basilicata, passing through vast vineyards, olive groves, and lush forests until I catch sight of a small village perched on a rock spur 800 meters high -- Acerenza.

Acerenza is officially listed as one of the top 50 most beautiful towns in Italy.

The view from the lookout Torretta is breathtaking, and you understand why since the beginning of time, Acerenza has been an almost impregnable fortress.

Nowadays, it is known for its cathedral, emblem of this small town's glorious past -- Initially a powerful Roman city and ultimately Norman and Renaissance.

The cathedral was commissioned by the Norman commander Roberto il Guiscardo, and its construction began in 1059 on the ruins of an ancient Paleochristian church, which had in turn been erected on top of a pagan temple.

Inside, there is a magnificent crypt, completed in 1524 with an elaborate frescoed and engraved casket.

The remains of the daughter of Count Vlad III, better known as Dracula, are thought to be preserved here.

We don't know if it's truth or legend, but it makes this place even more fascinating and mysterious.

[ Bell tolling ] Antonio Saluzzi is not only a musician who studied bass tuba, an artisan according to his family tradition, but overall, he is an artist, and what an artist!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Matera is certainly one of the most interesting, unusual, and memorable tourist destinations in Italy.

This green pearl of natural and historical wonders has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.

With its 10,000 years of life, Matera is thought to be one of the world's oldest towns and probably one of the longest continuously inhabited human settlements.

It isn't difficult to understand why Matera was chosen by Mel Gibson as the stunning scenario for the film "The Passion" or the set for Morgan Freeman's blockbuster "Ben-Hur."

The alternation of many populations over the centuries has left an intricate urban system, where the buildings overlap the natural caves.

Today, visitors are captured by this unique landscape and by the timeless atmosphere.

♪ Matera has several museums.

I decided to visit the MUSMA -- Museum of Contemporary Sculpture.

Located in Palazzo Lanfranchi, an elegant palace dating back to the 1600s, it hosts Italian and international works from the end of the 1800s up to today.

♪ It is the only cave museum in the world and the main Italian exhibition space entirely dedicated to sculpture.

♪ The combination of centuries-old rock caves and contemporary art is simply amazing.

♪ ♪ The art of paper-mache in Matera has been creating for centuries religious objects from water, glue, and plaster.

Matera since the 1500s has been the center of this production.

♪ Mario Daddiego makes traditional clay works to perfection, but the feather in his cap are the paper-mache presepi, or nativity scenes, which earned him worldwide recognition.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ Plays tune ] ♪ ♪ ♪ There isn't a better way to greet Basilicata than tasting a glass of Aglianico, made right here.

In Italy, we'd say, "Salute," or, "Cin cin."

Mmm!

Delicious!

That's Italy in a glass!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ "Passion Italy" is a deep dive into Italian culture and excellence, and I'll show you the Italy you've never seen before.

♪ ♪ Come with me on "Passion Italy," for the people, the places, and the passion!

♪ ♪