The Ghost City of Craco

The idea of abandoned cities often capture our imaginations but before you plan a trip to Chernobyl, you should visit the infamous town of Craco, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata.

An otherwise typical medieval Italian town, set on top of a hill, now lies abandoned with its own tragic history that few know about despite the town featuring in over 12 movies and a Pepsi commercial! 

“It now sits as a ghost town, popular with international movie directors and adventure tourists.”

The town of Craco dates back to 1060AD, built on a steep summit for defensive reasons, its dramatic appearance in an otherwise majestic farming landscape made it a popular town in the region. Certainly by the 19th century, Craco was booming, so much so that the town was large enough to divide into two districts: Torrevecchia, the highest area adjacent to the castle and tower; and Quarter della Chiesa Madre, the area adjacent to the Church. 

With this new expansion, came new infrastructure, and with this new infrastructure came landslides - A LOT of them. By 1972, during a year of record flooding, the situation worsened with parts of the historical centre collapsing down the mountain. 

Then in 1980, in a further cruel twist of fate, arrived the Irpinia earthquake that would render the remnants of the town completely inhabitable. It now sits as a ghost town, popular with international movie directors and adventure tourists. 

In 2007, descendants of the emigrants of Craco formed the "Craco Society", a non-profit organisation which preserves the culture, traditions, and history of the comune.

Il Craco Italia