San Paolo Albanese.
This is one of the smallest villages in Basilicata.
For a long time it has been under the domination of
the ‘Stato di Noia’ (the present Noepoli).
It was long deserted and was populated again only
in the XVI century by some Albanian refugees who,
after the colonisation, changed the original name
of the village, that was ‘Casalnuovo’.
The people living there still keep Albanian traditions
(most of all in the rites of weddings and funerals),
costumes and language. The old Albanian culture is
illustrated in the ‘Museo delle Civiltà
Arberesche’.
In the beautiful Church of San Rocco, protector of
the village, there are some frescos. A characteristic
event which is performed during the celebration of
San Rocco is the transportation of the ‘gregne’
(bunches of wheat), carried on people’s shoulders
during the procession. At the end of the procession
some folk groups perform in the typical dance of the
‘falcetto’ (reaping hook).
