Surrounded by unspoiled natural beauty, Rionero rises on two hills on the slopes of Monte Vulture, an ancient extinct volcano. The Grotticelle Nature Reserve, habitat of the rare butterfly Acanthobramaea europaea, and the wonderful Monticchio lakes, two stretches of water of volcanic origin that occupy ancient craters on the west side of the Vulture, make it an idyllic place crossed by a still very strong historical echo, in which the name of the well-known brigand Crocco and post-unitary events still resonate.
The churches
The area has a solid religious tradition, the spirit of which is felt in the many well-kept churches scattered throughout the town: starting from the main church, with its Baroque facade, to the Church of the SS. Sacramento, the oldest in the place, the Churches of the Annunziata and of San Nicola, up to those of Sant’Antonio Abate and Madonna Caudata, it is possible to admire the eighteenth-century architectural heritage accompanied by finds with stories that oscillate between history and legend. Do not miss the white Benedictine Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo, today the Vulture Natural History Museum, whose reflection on the surface of the smaller lake enhances its whiteness and majesty. However, a strong sense of spirituality is also felt in the traditions, among which the rite of the Sacred Representation stands out, which enchants onlookers with meticulousness and evocative effects every Holy Saturday.
The Museo del Brigantaggio (Brigandage Museum)
Rionero in Vulture is a place historically marked by the phenomenon of brigandage and various historical findings. And it is precisely in the former Grancia of Santa Maria degli Angeli, between the walls of the Brigandage Museum, that it is possible to retrace the phases of this fascinating historical parenthesis.
Palazzo Fortunato
It takes its name from the statesman, historian, politician and educator Giustino Fortunato who is recognised as having the paternity of the “Southern Question”. The furnishings of some rooms have remained unchanged. Since 1975, the building has housed the Civic Library “Giustino Fortunato”, where historical and economic studies with a southern orientation can be consulted.