The picturesque village of Albano di Lucania is positioned above Monte San Leonardo, one of the reliefs of the Lucanian Dolomites, from which it dominates the entire valley carved by the Basento river. Nestled between the Rocca del Cappello and the Sedia del Diavolo, huge monoliths that dominate the evocative views, its strategic position is due to the fact that it was a Lombard fortress.
In the upper part of the town stands the Mother Church dedicated to the Assunta, originally from 1200 but remodeled several times over the centuries, which stands out for its tall bell tower in squared stone blocks. Inside there are noteworthy works of art, such as a canvas depicting the Madonna della neve by the School of Raphael or the Madonna del Rosario by Pietrafesa.
In the centre we can visit the Church of the Annunziata, dating back to the seventeenth century, which preserves a beautiful painting of the Annunciation, by Pietro Antonio Ferro from Tricarico. Four kilometres from Albano is the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie, made of bare stone.
In the centre it is possible to visit an interesting exhibition space: the Interactive Museum of the “Gioco di Strada e del Giocattolo Povero” (Street Play and Humble Toys), which sets itself the audacious objective of preserving and disseminating the heritage of traditional play, through the recovery and conservation of toys.
Albano is also known as the village of the “hundred millstones”, huge blocks of stone dug into the rock that emerge from the ground and were once used to press grapes and olives or even apparently as pagan altars.
The village is surrounded by the dense forest of Cupolicchio, which is part part of the Natural Park of the wood of Albano di Lucania where the Naturavventura Park offers exciting outdoor activities for lovers of greenery and outdoor sports.
On summer nights, Albano becomes, with The nights of magic, a theatre for the spells of the “masciare”, fortune tellers, together with the gags of the cheerful “m’nacidd” (small monks), together with concerts, tasting of typical products, literary readings and photographic exhibitions.
