The Abandoned City of Craco Destroyed by Earthquake in Italy

Perched atop a rocky hillside overlooking the area of Basilicata, Southern Italy, is the hauntingly stunning ghost town of Craco. A once-thriving medieval village, Craco is now stuck in time—its narrow stone roads, empty homes, and bony buildings silenced. Abandoned decades ago by a combination of natural catastrophes, including a disastrous earthquake and persistent landslides, Craco exists today as a reminder of resilience and fragility.Here, we delve into the intriguing tale of Craco, a city in Italy devastated by a quake, and why it is still a draw to travelers, filmmakers, and historians across the globe.

A look into Craco’s past

Craco’s origins trace back to the 8th century AD, although there is evidence to support that the area has been inhabited as far back as the Iron Age. The town prospered in the Middle Ages, first as a feudal fortress and subsequently under noble families and clerical authorities.

With its hillside setting—well-placed to serve as a vantage point against intruders—Craco possessed a compact group of stone houses, a central castle, churches, and winding, narrow roads that characterized Southern Italian architecture. Its elevated locations provided dramatic vistas over the surrounding landscape, which comprised extensive areas of agricultural land, olive groves, and rocky outcrops.

At its peak, Craco boasted a population of over 2,000 inhabitants, who were primarily farmers, shepherds, and artisans. It was a slow, rural way of life, based around the village and the Church of the Catholic faith.

A town in a crisis: Landslides and earthquakes

It was in the midst of the 20th century that a turning point in the history of Craco occurred. Human error coupled with natural disasters caused a set of circumstances which eventually led to the abandoning of the town.

1. Landslides (1950s–1970s)

Since the 1950s, Craco has suffered frequent and intense landslides. These were primarily a consequence of changes in farming methods, deforestation, and the installation of new infrastructures like underground water conduits. The balance of the geology of the town was breached, and houses started to shift and crack. Others collapsed.

2. The Earthquake (1980)

In 1980, a devastating earthquake—the Irpinia earthquake of 6.9 on the Richter scale—hit the south of Italy. Though not directly under Craco, the structurally weak town was critically damaged. The disaster finalized the fate of the town. The remainder of the local inhabitants was evacuated from it, and the town was proclaimed to be uninhabitable.

It was a calamitous moment not just for Craco but for dozens of towns throughout Southern Italy. Thousands were killed, and whole regions were remoulded by the disaster.

Complete Evacuation and Abandonment

After the earthquake, the Italian authorities resettled Craco’s remaining population to a nearby valley site that today is known as Craco Peschiera, a new suburban area that lacks the older town’s charm.

Craco was left to deteriorate, homes, possessions, and traditions of centuries forced to be abandoned by its residents. Within a short few years, a once-thriving community became a ghost town—silent, haunting, and strangely beautiful.

Cultural Importance and Interest of UNESCO

In spite of its calamitous fall, Craco has been revitalized through cultural preservation and the arts. The village is a cultural and historical landmark today, and there has been a move to stabilize and save what’s left of the original buildings.

In 2010, Craco was placed on the World Monuments Watch, a program of the World Monuments Fund, that draws international focus to threatened cultural sites. The inclusion on the list has helped raise concern and funds to assist with preservation.

Craco in Film and Media

With its otherworldly beauty and timeless charm, Craco has emerged as a popular shooting location among artists and directors. The city’s bleak roads and dramatic scenery make it a unique backdrop that’s hard to match.

Some of the films and productions filmed in Craco are:

• The Passion of the Christ (2004) – The city was used as the filming location of choice by director Mel Gibson.
• Quantum of Solace (2008) – A James Bond film that also used Craco’s rugged topography to stage action scenes.
• The Nativity Story (2006) – Featured Craco’s timeless look as a representation of towns of the past.

Its screen appearances have brought Craco to the world stage, making the ghost city a venerated symbol of historical mystery.

Tourism and the Ghost Town Phenomenon

Tourism

Craco has over time ended up being a special place to visit, attracting tourists from across the globe intrigued by history, architecture, and the eerie charm of places that have been left to decay. It is possible to take a guided tour, usually provided by local historians or past residents, who give a first-hand report on life in Craco prior to the tragedies.

Tour Highlights

• Medieval Castle Ruins – Panoramic views and entry to the feudal past of the town.
• San Nicola Church – A former spiritual center of the community.
• Abandoned Streets and Houses – Kept in a range of decay states, reflecting centuries of rural life in Italy.

Due to concerns over safety, restricted access exists in some places, and tours are strictly controlled to safeguard the sites and the public.

Lessons from Craco: Nature, Heritage, and Resilience

Craco is a stark reminder of nature’s unpredictability and the strength of a community’s ability to recover from disaster. It’s a study of how conditions of nature—when mixed with human choice—have a dramatic influence on a whole town.

It’s not just a group of dilapidated structures, Craco has a human story to tell:

• A tale of forced exodus from the homes of ancestors.
• A history of refugee societies remade in diaspora.
• A story of how beauty can be found even in ruins.

It also highlights the value of preserving cultural heritage amidst environmental and financial adversity. Craco’s conservation efforts are a model that could be replicated in similar endangered sites across the world.

How to Visit Craco Today

If you’re considering a trip to Southern Italy, Craco is a must visit if you’re looking to explore history, architecture, or just want a different tourist experience. It can be accessed through regional routes from towns like Matera, Bari, or Naples.

Travel Tips

• Book a guided tour to have the most enlightening experience.
• Put on comfortable walking shoes; the ground is rough and steep.
• Visit in spring or autumn to escape extreme weather and appreciate comfortable temperatures.
• Promote local tourist projects, which serve to finance the conservation of the site.

Most of these travelers pair a visit to Craco with visits to nearby sites like Matera’s cave city or Puglia’s coastal towns.

Conclusion: A City Almost Forgotten

Abandoned city of Craco, devastated by nature’s disasters but kept in remembrance and stone, is one of Italy’s most poignant and captivating landmarks. Its ghostly streets and shattered buildings speak volumes, speaking of time, tragedy, and transformation. For those who come, Craco has something richer than beauty to see—it has perspective. Perspective on the transience of human endeavor, the strength of nature, and the indestructible record of sites remote from time’s consideration but not from the consideration of history.

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