Remote and wild, basilicata is one of the poorest regions in italy.
it is underdeveloped and undervisited, and so remains unspoilt.
neighbouring calabria has been immortalized in the drawings of edward lear who, travelling through on a donkey in 1874, was transfixed by the "horror and magnificence" of its savage landscape.
today these regions are mutually distinct, but they share a common history and, along with sicily and puglia, were part of magna graecia.
ancient metaponto in basilicata was an important centre, as were crotone and locri epizefiri in calabria.
centuries of rule by naples led to the marginalization of basilicata and calabria.
nowadays calabria has a terrifying reputation due to the 'ndrangheta, the ferocious first cousin to the mafia, whose activities are a constant menace.
banditry does still exist, but the sensible traveller should have little to fear.
owing to emigration, basilicata and calabria are sparsely populated and have as much to offer in un spoilt countryside as in historic centres.
the vast coastline boasts sandy beaches, while the interior features the rugged aspromonte and sila mountain ranges.