Aliano
Encyclopedia
Aliano is a town and comune
in the province of Matera
and is located about 90 kilometers from Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata
.
Aliano is probably most famous for being the inspiration for the fictional town of Gagliano in Carlo Levi's
book Christ Stopped at Eboli (Italian: Cristo si è fermato a Eboli
). Published in 1945, it gives giving an account of his exile from 1935-1936 in Aliano.
Like many towns in rural Italy it has suffered from migration to the cities and overseas where employment opportunities are better.
", which are deforested, sandy soiled, rocky hills. Over the town's history, many homes were lost to landslide resulting from deforestation. In 1980 an earthquake
shook the region destroyed or made uninhabitable many of the town's historic homes. Recent funding, partly from the European Union, has made renovations possible, and parts of the town's historic center are once again inhabitable.
(a catholic festival that takes place a few weeks before Easter) village men, dressed in paper mache masks, hats covered with streamers, wearing long underwear and cow bells, march down the town's main street, throwing flour at gathered crowds and making grunting noises.
Some believe that the significance of the custom was to exorcise evil spirits prior to lent.
Another interesting tradition is the use of architecture to ward off the evil eye, the "malocchio". Many of the town's older homes, including one in the town's historic square called casa con gli occhi ("house with eyes") are formed with two forward windows and a staircase leading from the ground up to the home's main floor. (The ground floor was probably stables for animals.) The combination of stairs and windows make the home look like a face. When lit from the inside, the windows may look like burning eyes, enough to scare away any bad spirits.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the province of Matera
Province of Matera
The Province of Matera is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Matera.It has an area of 3,447 km², and a total population of 203,837 . There are 31 comunes in the province . The main comunes by population are:- External links :* **...
and is located about 90 kilometers from Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
.
Aliano is probably most famous for being the inspiration for the fictional town of Gagliano in Carlo Levi's
Carlo Levi
Dr. Carlo Levi was an Italian-Jewish painter, writer, activist, anti-fascist, and doctor.He is best known for his book Cristo si è fermato a Eboli , published in 1945, a memoir of his time spent in exile in Lucania, Italy, after being arrested in connection with his political activism...
book Christ Stopped at Eboli (Italian: Cristo si è fermato a Eboli
Eboli
Eboli is a town and comune of Campania, southern Italy, in the province of Salerno, on the south edge of the hills overlooking the valley of the Sele....
). Published in 1945, it gives giving an account of his exile from 1935-1936 in Aliano.
Like many towns in rural Italy it has suffered from migration to the cities and overseas where employment opportunities are better.
Geography
Aliano is located atop "calanchiBadlands
A badlands is a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rock. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. They are often...
", which are deforested, sandy soiled, rocky hills. Over the town's history, many homes were lost to landslide resulting from deforestation. In 1980 an earthquake
1980 Irpinia earthquake
The 1980 Irpinia earthquake took place in the Irpinia region in Southern Italy on Sunday, November 23, 1980. Measuring 6.89 on the Richter Scale, the quake, centered on the village of Conza, killed 2,914 people, injured more than 10,000 and left 300,000 homeless. It is known in Italy as Terremoto...
shook the region destroyed or made uninhabitable many of the town's historic homes. Recent funding, partly from the European Union, has made renovations possible, and parts of the town's historic center are once again inhabitable.
Culture
Aliano has its own dialect, "Alianese", and the population keep many old traditions. One particular example is that, during CarnevaleCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
(a catholic festival that takes place a few weeks before Easter) village men, dressed in paper mache masks, hats covered with streamers, wearing long underwear and cow bells, march down the town's main street, throwing flour at gathered crowds and making grunting noises.
Some believe that the significance of the custom was to exorcise evil spirits prior to lent.
Another interesting tradition is the use of architecture to ward off the evil eye, the "malocchio". Many of the town's older homes, including one in the town's historic square called casa con gli occhi ("house with eyes") are formed with two forward windows and a staircase leading from the ground up to the home's main floor. (The ground floor was probably stables for animals.) The combination of stairs and windows make the home look like a face. When lit from the inside, the windows may look like burning eyes, enough to scare away any bad spirits.