The Basento (Latin ''Casuentus'') is a river in the
Basilicata
Basilicata (, ; ), also known by its ancient name Lucania (, , ), is an administrative region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It has two coastlines: a 30-kilometr ...
region of
southern Italy
Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions.
The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...
.
It rises at Monte Arioso in the
southern Apennine Mountains, southwest of
Potenza
Potenza (, ; ; , Potentino dialect: ''Putenz'') is a ''comune'' in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata (former Lucania).
Capital of the Province of Potenza and the Basilicata region, the city is the highest regional capital and one of ...
in the
province of Potenza
The province of Potenza (; Potentino: ) is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza.
Geography
It has an area of and a total population of 369,538 (as of 2017). There are 100 ''comuni'' (singular: ''com ...
. The river flows northeast near
Pignola and Potenza before curving east near
Vaglio Basilicata. It curves southeast and flows near
Brindisi Montagna,
Trivigno
Trivigno is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.
It is the birthplace of the silent film actor and director Robert G. Vignola.
References
Cities and towns in Basilicata
{{B ...
, and
Albano di Lucania. A right tributary coming from Lago di Ponte Fontanelle flows into the river in this area. The river forms the border between the province of Potenza and the
province of Matera
The province of Matera (; Materano: ) is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Matera. It has an area of and a total population of 201,133; the city of Matera has a population of 61,204. The province contains ...
for a short distance before flowing into the province of Matera. It flows eastward near
Tricarico,
Calciano, and
Grassano before curving southeast. The river flows near
Grottole,
Miglionico,
Pomarico,
Ferrandina, and Monte Finese before curving eastward. It flows near
Pisticci
Pisticci ( Metapontino: ; ) is a town comune in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.
Pisticci is the fourth most populous town in the region and the most populous in the province after Matera. It is known for being ...
and
Bernalda
Bernalda (Neapolitan language, Metapontino: or ) is a town and municipality () in the province of Matera, in the southern Italy, Italian region of Basilicata. The nearby village of Metaponto is the site of the ancient city of Metapontum.
Until ...
before flowing into the
Gulf of Taranto
The Gulf of Taranto (; Tarantino: ; ) is a gulf of the Ionian Sea, in Southern Italy.
The Gulf of Taranto is almost square, long and wide, making it the largest gulf in Italy, and it is delimited by the capes Santa Maria di Leuca (to the eas ...
, which is part of the
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea (, ; or , ; , ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and the Salento peninsula to the west, ...
, near
Metaponto
Metaponto is a small town of about 1,000 people in the province of Matera, Basilicata, Italy. Administratively it is a frazione of Bernalda.
History
The town was built by the ancient Greeks to defend Sybaris from the growth of Taranto. A 1&nbs ...
. The main city on the Basento is
Potenza
Potenza (, ; ; , Potentino dialect: ''Putenz'') is a ''comune'' in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata (former Lucania).
Capital of the Province of Potenza and the Basilicata region, the city is the highest regional capital and one of ...
, the capital of
Basilicata
Basilicata (, ; ), also known by its ancient name Lucania (, , ), is an administrative region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It has two coastlines: a 30-kilometr ...
.
External links
Article at fiumi.com
References
Rivers of the Province of Potenza
Rivers of the Province of Matera
Rivers of Italy
Drainage basins of the Ionian Sea
{{Italy-river-stub