La Notte Romantica nei Borghi più belli d'Italia

A night of magic in the stone alleys

Every year, on the cusp of summer, the Association I Borghi più belli d'Italia (The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy) transforms its certified centers into stages of pure emotion. La Notte Romantica is a widespread national event celebrated simultaneously in hundreds of villages across the peninsula: streets lit by candles, decorated squares, acoustic concerts, and light installations accompany couples, families, and travelers until the highlight, the collective midnight toast.

Lucanian villages take center stage

Basilicata participates with some of its certified jewels. Among the villages that have joined over the years are Guardia Perticara, with its stone houses in the province of Potenza, Pietrapertosa and Castelmezzano, nestled among the spectacular spires of the Lucanian Dolomites, Acerenza, the "cathedral city," and the Materan villages of Irsina and Miglionico. Each municipality creates its own program, announced in the weeks leading up to the event.

Atmosphere and tradition

In Pietrapertosa, for example, past editions featured "Borgo Sonoro" (Sounding Village), an itinerant saxophone concert through the alleys, and artistic photographs from the viewpoint. Each village interprets the evening according to its own identity, but the common thread remains the same: rediscovering slowness, the beauty of Lucanian historic centers, and the poetry of a shared night.

A national project, a local soul

The initiative was created to enhance the heritage of Italian villages and promote slow, quality tourism. In Basilicata, a land of rarefied landscapes and ancient traditions, La Notte Romantica becomes the perfect opportunity to discover or rediscover some of the most fascinating places in Southern Italy.