Ferrandina.
The town originated from the ruins of the ancient
town of Uggiano, destroyed by a terrible earthquake
in 1456. It was founded by Federico of Aragon in
1490. He named the town after his father, king Ferrante
or Ferrantino, and gave shelter to all the survivors
of Uggiano. In the Middle Ages, the town was controlled
by a succession of feudal families, the last of
which was the Garcia di Toledo family.
The town presents remarkable constructions.
It is famous for its olives and the excellent oil
obtained.
Nowadays Ferrandina is one of the few industrial
towns in Basilicata, partly thanks to the marsh
gas extracted in the area.
In the industrial part of the town, situated in
the Basento Valley, there are factories which employ
people coming from the neighbouring towns too.
