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Getting to Know Basilicata: The Monticchio Lakes

⏱ 4 min
The Monticchio Lakes are located between the municipalities of Atella and Rionero in Vulture, in the province of Potenza. The two bodies of water, one larger, one smaller, formed in the crater of Mount Vulture, now an extinct volcano, within an unspoiled natural area rich in numerous animal, bird and plant species. Beeches, holm oaks, Turkey oaks, alders, poplars and conifers tower near the two lakes; wolves, badgers, wild boar, porcupines, foxes and hedgehogs, but also dormice, weasels, stone martens, polecats, black squirrels, hazel dormice and otters inhabit the mountain; perch, trout and the vulturine bleak swim in the waters.

The Monticchio Lakes

Both lakes are elliptical in shape and separated by a 215-metre-wide strip of land. The Lago Piccolo (Small Lake) has a perimeter of 1,800 metres, steep banks and a depth reaching up to 38 metres. The Lago Grande (Large Lake) has a perimeter of 2,200 metres and a funnel-shaped basin with extensive shallows. It only reaches a depth of 36 metres in the northern part. Lago Piccolo, at a higher elevation (658 metres), is fed by underwater springs and in turn feeds Lago Grande (656 metres) through a small stream. Historically the Monticchio Lakes were first a place of leisure for Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, who enjoyed falconry in this area as well as in Melfi, Lagopesole and Palazzo San Gervasio; and later a refuge for the brigand lieutenant Carmine Crocco along with his subordinates Ninco Nanco, Giuseppe Caruso and Giovanni Coppa.

Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo

Built on the part of the crater overlooking Lago Piccolo, the Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo is a religious building dating back to the 8th century AD, built around a cave inhabited by Basilian monks: it passed first to the Benedictines, then to the Capuchins and finally to the Constantinian military order. The whole complex consists of a convent, an 18th-century church and the chapel of San Michele. The Grotta dell'Angelo (Angel's Grotto), dedicated to San Michele and adorned with frescoes dating back to the mid-11th century, was the place where the Italo-Greek monks who once inhabited the area gathered in prayer. From here you can admire the striking panorama of the Monticchio Lakes. Between the two lakes, you can also visit the remains of the Abbey of Sant'Ippolito, a structure dating back to the 11th century and destroyed by the earthquake of 1456.

Vulture Natural History Museum

The Vulture Natural History Museum opened in 2008 and is located on the first two floors of the Abbey of San Michele. It has a “dual identity”: a more traditional one, related to classic museography, with a conservation and scientific function; and a more contemporary one, aimed at educating visitors through interaction and entertainment. The museum also offers visitors an authentic interpretation of the history of Vulture: the routes, in fact, are built around the history of the volcano over its 750,000 years, offering the public a journey back in time. It starts, in fact, from an evocative depiction of humanity's recent path on Vulture, moving on to the history of the animals and plants present at different periods on its slopes, and finally arriving at the volcano's paroxysmal phenomena, prehistoric humans, and the ancient fauna of Vulture.

Lago Piccolo di Monticchio Regional Nature Reserve

The nature reserve was established in 1971 to protect a rare species of moth, the Acanthobrahmaea (also known as Brahmaea europaea), discovered in 1963 by the South Tyrolean scholar Federico Hartig in the woods of Monticchio. The Vulture Bramea is a specimen unique in Europe, dating back around 25 million years and surviving to the present day thanks to its extraordinary adaptability. Basilicata is one of the richest regions to discover, in its landscapes, history and flavours. Come and visit it!
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