Today we make a foray into the province of Salerno, on the border with Basilicata, to be precise in Buccino. It is a town rich in history, whose first settlements date back to the Neolithic, as evidenced by the necropolis found in the area surrounding the current urban settlement. The city was founded with the name of Volcei in the 4th century BC. by the Lucanians, who endowed it with fortified walls; it was later conquered by the Romans, who gave it its current urban layout, while the construction of the Norman Castle dates back to the Middle Ages, which put an end to a phase of relative abandonment. Buccino then followed the history of the Kingdom of Naples, passing from one family of feudal lords to another, until the unification of Italy. The visit we suggest consists of two main attractions (for detailed information we recommend the website www.volcei.net): the Archaeological Park of Buccino; the National Archaeological Museum of Volcei "Marcello Gigante". Practical advice: for seated warriors it is preferable to tackle the center of Buccino with a scooter, given the fairly steep slopes and narrow streets where cars hardly pass; the museum, on the other hand, is easily accessible and you can park your car nearby. In any case we ask you, if you go there, to provide us with feedback on any difficulties encountered, as our visit dates back to a few years ago and things could have changed (even for the better, why not?). The Archaeological Park was inaugurated in 2003 and has the intention of connecting and making the most important monuments located in the historic center of the town accessible in a tour itinerary. One of the most interesting sites in the Park is the rock settlement of Via Egito. Along Via Egito, the city's artery, an ancient terracing on three levels during the VI - VII century. A.D. it was transformed into a rock settlement similar to the Sassi of Matera. The caves dug into the rocky bank and arranged with wall linings in uncertain work, were progressively excavated and first became houses with attached stables and then cellars, which remained in use until the earthquake of 1980. We show you some pictures below:
The other attraction of Buccino is the National Archaeological Museum of Volcei (*), named after the great classical philologist Marcello Gigante, a native of the town. The structure that houses the museum is a fifteenth-century building formerly a convent of the hermits of Sant'Agostino; the finds range from prehistoric times to the Lucanian city and the Roman age.
Those who have visited the archaeological museum of Paestum or the post that we have dedicated to that site, will find some analogy between the material exhibited in Buccino and that exhibited in Paestum, a city of which in the fifth century BC. the Lucanians had in fact taken possession.
Now let's move on to the restaurants. There is one, excellent, in Buccino with our requirements: Arcangelo (*): Via 16 settembre, Buccino +39 0828 952120 https://www.facebook.com/daArcangeloRistorantePizzeria/ Otherwise we can move to Caggiano, where we find a restaurant of a certain value: Locanda Severino (*): Largo Re Galantuomo 11, Caggiano +39 0975 393905 / 347 6283979 www.locandaseverino.it (*) symbol indicating the presence of toilets equipped for the disabled