Founded around 540 AD by Greeks who moved inland from the coastal colony of Metaponto, Craco was built on a steep cliff of clay — the unstable Plio-Pleistocene clay that forms the calanchi badlands surrounding it on all sides.
Nine Centuries of Survival
Natural landslides struck in 1600, 1805, 1857, and 1933. Each time the Crachesi rebuilt — the hilltop defensive position was worth the risk. By 1276 there was a university. By 1561 the population had reached 2,590. The town’s coat of arms bears three spikes of wheat held by a human arm — the symbol of the agricultural culture that sustained it. Craco survived plague in 1656, Bourbon feudalism, brigand attacks, and the upheavals of Italian unification.
The Emigration
From 1892 to 1922, over 1,300 Crachesi emigrated to North America, mainly due to poor agricultural production. By the turn of the 20th century, roughly 25% of the town was living in America. They settled primarily in New York, forming the Società San Vincenzo Martire di Craco in 1899 — a mutual aid society that became the heart of the diaspora community.
Modernity as the Final Blow
For centuries, Craco had managed water through cisterns — a system evolved to work with the clay, keeping water contained at the surface. In the 20th century, the town modernised. Post-war infrastructure brought sewers and pressurised pipes. The pipes leaked, and water infiltrated the clay from within.
In 1963, following heavy rainfall, the clay finally failed in a series of devastating landslides. The remaining 1,800 residents were evacuated to Craco Peschiera in the valley. A flood in 1972 and then the 1980 Irpinia earthquake made the town truly uninhabitable.
What Remains
From a distance, Craco looks intact — the Norman tower still standing, church facades visible, the warren of streets suggesting ordinary life. But up close, you see roofs open to the sky and floors buried under metres of landslide debris, plants growing through walls and stairwells.
Visiting Craco
Access is by guided tour only — the site is fenced, with helmets mandatory. The route takes in the main street, the central piazza (still partly buried, original paving visible below), San Nicola church, the Norman tower with panoramic views across the calanchi, and the noble palaces. The MEC — Museo Emozionale di Craco, housed in the former Monastery of San Pietro, covers the history, the emigration, and the films shot here.
Films
The calanchi landscape and ruined medieval architecture have made Craco one of the most filmed locations in Italy: Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979), The Passion of the Christ (2004), Quantum of Solace (2008), and Basilicata Coast to Coast (2010) among others.
The Craco Society
In 2007, descendants of Craco emigrants in the United States founded the Craco Society, led by Joe Rinaldi.
If you’re interested, I’ve shared more of the photos I took in Craco here →
