Pietrapertosa

Pietrapertosa is a small mountain town in the Lucanian Dolomites, at around 1,088 meters above sea level, generally cited as the highest village in Basilicata. It sits within the Gallipoli Cognato and Piccole Dolomiti Lucane regional park and is built into sandstone rock formations that give the range its "Little Dolomites" nickname. A 10th-century Norman-Swabian castle, originally a Saracen stronghold, stands at the highest point of the village; it later passed through the Carafa family and other feudal lords. Pietrapertosa and neighboring Castelmezzano — connected by the Volo dell'Angelo zip line across the gorge between them — served as the fictional town of "Pietramezzana" in the 2016 Italian film Un paese quasi perfetto (Massimo Gaudioso), and both are regularly listed among Italy's most beautiful villages (Borghi più belli d'Italia).