Marsico Nuovo: Heritage and Landscapes in the Agri Valley

Marsico Nuovo lies on the western side of the upper Agri Valley at an altitude of 865 metres. When choosing a destination, the town offers two distinct themes: medieval church and monastic history, and nature and outdoor activities.

Churches, Art and Monastic History

The Chiesa di San Giorgio e San Gianuario replaced the former Cathedral of San Michele Arcangelo. In 1131, Bishop Enrico and Count Goffredo Guarna had a new cathedral built in Romanesque style at its present location. The stone portal of the Chiesa di San Gianuario is supported by Corinthian-style columns and depicts medieval bishops and abbots in bas-relief. The work was declared a national monument. A bas-relief raises its figures only slightly from the stone, unlike a freestanding sculpture. The church also houses a medieval fresco from the Chiesa di San Francesco, one of the oldest paintings in the area.

The Chiesa della Madonna del Carmine also takes visitors back to a different era: it is attached to the Monastero di San Tommaso di Canterbury and dates from the 13th to 14th centuries. A 14th-century wooden sculpture of the Madonna and Child, attributed to Giovanni di Nola, is kept there. The Museo di arte sacra preserves and exhibits religious artworks and sacred objects of historical and artistic value.

The history of the Palazzo Manzoni complex goes back to an earlier building, initially founded as an Augustinian monastery by Guglielmo III Guarna in 1179. Ruggero Sanseverino later converted it into a Benedictine convent. The monumental complex covers around 7,000 square metres, with courtyards, paths and building remains enclosed by massive stone walls. Several sites thus offer a chance to explore different aspects of sacred history: architecture, sculpture, painting and the former function of monastic complexes.

Forests, Water and Trails

The Fontana delle Brecce–Piana del Lago nature complex lies within the Appennino Lucano Val d’Agri Lagonegrese National Park. Beech and holm oak forests, springs and seasonally flowing streams shape the area. It is suited to hiking, cycle tourism and trekking. Piana del Lago also has a body of water fed by local springs, as well as drainage channels with the character of streams.

For sporting activities, Piana del Lago offers a flat circular route about 1,000 metres long, suitable for year-round use. A different type of route is the approximately two-kilometre path from the Rifugio Fontana delle Brecce: it passes through woodland to a wooden bridge reserved exclusively for pedestrians and connected to the village of Piana del Lago. This provides information about both a flat loop and a woodland path, without implying that they are the same trail section.

Another natural attraction is the Grotta di Castel di Lepre. It extends almost two kilometres into the mountain and is considered the longest cave system in Basilicata.

Historic Walk and Traces of the Past

The Passeggiate nella Storia is a historical and food-and-wine walking tour held annually in the second half of August in the old Civita district. The 2025 edition was the 25th and commemorated the visit of Saint Thomas Aquinas to Teodora. If you would like to combine your trip with the tour, check the dates for the relevant edition.

The Fonte di San Giovanni also has a historical dimension: two milestones from the time of Diocletian and several funerary stelae dating to the 3rd century AD were found nearby. In the Middle Ages, the spring supplied water to the nearby Rocchetta of the Sanseverino counts. Archaeological finds and the recorded use of the water thus complement the history of sacred buildings with a glimpse of earlier traces and the spring’s former importance.

Discover more destinations: Barile, Ruoti, Chiaromonte, Rapone, Lavello, Melfi, Armento, San Severino Lucano.

For the broader travel overview: Potenza.