A Monticchio with Antonio
Sunday, December 29, 2013 , I was in Monticchio with Antonio , a very beautiful tourist place situated on the slopes of Mount Vulture , one of the oldest volcanoes in the southern Apennines . At first we did a tour around the two lakes of volcanic origin. From the shores of Little Lake we could see the Basilica di San Michele , whose construction dates back to the eighth century AD It was erected by the Basilian monks on a cave dug into the tuff. Walking around Little Lake we stopped to look at the remains of the Abbey of St. Ippolito , built between the eleventh and twelfth centuries , by the Basilian . Through a narrow street we climbed up the mountain and we went to visit the Abbey and the Cave of the dedicated to St. Michael, adorned with frescoes dating back to the mid-eleventh century . Here they gathered in prayer, the Italian-Greek monks who once inhabited the area . From this place you can have a beautiful view of the lakes of Monticchio . Entered the Abbey we visited the Museum of Natural History located in the first two floors. With great interest we have observed some artifacts from the prehistoric times , and especially the fauna that inhabits the Vulture area .