San Martino d'Agri
Encyclopedia
San Martino d'Agri is a picturesque hill town and comune
in the province of Potenza
, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata
. It is a town of less the 800 people most of the year, but in August the population swells to around 2,000 when Sammartinesi return for the Festa della Madonna della Rupe, some coming from as far as North America and South America. San Martino d'Agri is on the peak of a hill at 666 meters above sea level. At one point in the town's history, there was a major mudslide (frana) that wiped out most of the town, however it recovered. Atop the hill stands a medieval castle, which was first owned by the barone. However, after the barone was overthrown, there was a massive earthquake that destroyed much of the town. The castle was later renovated and divided up into sections for different families' housing. In the late mid 1900's, a section was abandon and wasn't renovated until 2003. That part, as well as another is currently owned and still being renovated.
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 Potenza
Province of Potenza
The Province of Potenza is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza.-Geography:It has an area of 6,545 km² and a total population of 387,107 . There are 100 comuni in the province .-History:In 272 B.C. the province was conquered by the Greek army...
, 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...
. It is a town of less the 800 people most of the year, but in August the population swells to around 2,000 when Sammartinesi return for the Festa della Madonna della Rupe, some coming from as far as North America and South America. San Martino d'Agri is on the peak of a hill at 666 meters above sea level. At one point in the town's history, there was a major mudslide (frana) that wiped out most of the town, however it recovered. Atop the hill stands a medieval castle, which was first owned by the barone. However, after the barone was overthrown, there was a massive earthquake that destroyed much of the town. The castle was later renovated and divided up into sections for different families' housing. In the late mid 1900's, a section was abandon and wasn't renovated until 2003. That part, as well as another is currently owned and still being renovated.