I Love Touring Italy - Springtime In Basilicata

One major early spring festival is the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) Pageant. A great place to experience this Festival is the small town of Barile, population about 3 thousand, with a substantial Albanian influence due to the origin of many people. As elsewhere, the Stations of the Cross represent the various episodes of the Passion of Christ. You will see authentic reconstructions of the Gospel stories, accompanied by fantasy figures expressing ancestral fears. For example, the "Negro" represents a stranger, and the "Gypsy" is a dark symbol of wealth hiding evil and danger. These are quite major figures of popular collective atonement. You will definitely be impressed by the participants' spirit. Other localities hosting memorable Via Crucis Costumed Parades include Atella on the Thursday before Easter, and on Good Friday Maschito whose ceremony includes both Albanian and Greek aspects, and Venosa. The following day Rionero in Vulture celebrates its pageant, which also has Albanian and Greek aspects.

Levi Reiss authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but would rather drink fine French wine with friends. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel, wine, and food website www.travelitalytravel.com and his global wine websitewww.theworldwidewine.com featuring a weekly review of $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines.