San Mauro Forte

San Mauro Forte is a town and comune in the province of Matera, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.

History
The area was established in the sixth century.

It was probably part of Magna Graecia.

Geography
The town is on a hill, 540 m above sea level, in the west central part of the province. To the north are the communes of Salandra (14 km/9 miles), Oliveto Lucano (15 km/9 miles) and Garaguso (17 km/11 miles). To the east is Ferrandina (31 km/20 miles) with Craco (25 km/15 miles) and Stigliano (31 km/20 miles) to the south. Accettura is (14 km/9 miles) to the south. The provincial capital, Matera, is 70 km/44 miles away, while the administrative capital of the adjacent province, Potenza, is 66 km/41 miles away.

San Mauro Forte is included in the administrative grouping of Upland Communes of the Matera Hills.

Main sights

 * Torre Normanna, "Norman Tower"


 * The sixteenth-century Church of Santa Maria Assunta, in which are preserved valuable paintings from the eighteenth century;
 * The Church of the Annunciation, built in the sixteenth century by Franciscan monks, with an adjoining convent;
 * The Church of St. Mary of the Angels (also known as Chapel of the Rosary or Saint Lucia), of ancient origins;
 * The eighteenth-century Church of St. Vincent, with a majolica tiled floor and an eighteenth-century organ;
 * The noble palaces, such as Palazzo Arciaerie (today seat of the Town Hall) and Palazzo Lauria, famous for its Baroque-style portal.

Religious festivals

 * The Feast of Saint Maurus, 15 January
 * Campanacci, the "Festival of the Cowbell", 16 January


 * St Anthony the Abbot, 17 January
 * The Feast of Saint Roch, 3 September

Demographic
Population census