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WHO WE ARE
HISTORY
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Walking through the luxuriant nature that leads from Pisticci towards the sea, overlooking the splendid beaches of the Ionian Sea, with its crystalline waters, letting yourself be inebriated by the sight of a hill surrounded by olive groves, you will find the Castle of San Basilio, with its ancient " Filaro ”of peasant houses, the“ Casalini ”, at the service of the Castle itself. Splendid oasis of marvelous plantations, it was built as a fortified farm around the seventh century by the monastic community of the Basilians. It then became a Norman fief, assuming more and more the characteristics of a castle with the construction of the central tower. By the Norman feudal lords it was later donated to the Benedictine community of the abbey of Santa Maria del Casale di Pisticci. In the 14th century it passed ownership to the Certosa di Padula and, in 1830 to the Marquis Ferrante di Ruffano; it is currently owned by the Berlingieri family and currently houses an important collection of contemporary art works and installations. The imposing building develops around the central courtyard, overlooked by the main buildings, housing the refectory, the kitchen, the dormitory, the archive, the library, the 18th century church and the chapter house.
THE CASTLE
The complex is dominated by the large square tower of King Ruggiero, who had it built, which dates back to the first half of the 11th century and from the top of which the gaze sweeps across an immense territory comprising the entire arc of the Gulf of Taranto; The entire structure, in fact, is built on a slight hill that allows you to dominate the surrounding area and is at the same time surrounded by greenery in such a way as to blend in with nature. The main function of the tower was in fact to control the coast assisted by the other nearby towers to give the alarm in case of landing of the Saracen pirates. The alarm bell is still placed on the terrace of the tower. The external entrance consisted of a drawbridge, now replaced by an arched brick bridge. On the entrance portal there is the heraldic coat of arms of the Berlingeri family of Crotone.
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THE VILLAGE
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The ancient village, immersed in a luxuriant glimpse of the Metapontine countryside, in the strip of Lucanian land crossed by the Cavone and Basento rivers and developed around a central cloister, was the scene of lively city life. In fact, the current charming residence, surrounded by the castle with a thousand-year history, stands on the elegantly restored ruins of the nineteenth-century “Casalini” located on the back of the hill that flanks the Castle (the “Filaro”), housing for peasant families at the service of the Castle. Today the village, after a major restoration, lives again under a full light: a space of traditional expression becomes the setting for environments of style, modern art and refinement.
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