Irsina: what to see in the village and where to find our bakery

Irsina is our home town: the Lapenna family has been making bread here since 1947. It is a village in the province of Matera, on the border with Puglia, and first-time visitors rarely expect it to be so rich in history. If you are planning a trip, here is what to see and where to drop in and say hello.

A village on a rocky spur

Until the end of the 19th century Irsina was called Montepeloso. The old town stands on a rocky spur, surrounded by mighty buttresses, and is easy to explore on foot, through alleys, stairways and glimpses of the surrounding countryside. In 1123 Pope Callixtus II made it a bishop's seat: a sign of how important it already was back then.

The cathedral and Mantegna's Saint Euphemia

The heart of the town is the cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, with its Baroque façade and ancient bell tower. Inside is a stone statue of Saint Euphemia attributed to Andrea Mantegna, one of the great artists of the Renaissance: a surprise that alone is worth the visit.

The other churches and the cave houses

• The church of the convent of San Francesco, known for its fresco of Christ Pantocrator.
• The church of the Purgatorio, with a 17th-century canvas of the Wedding at Cana.
• The cave houses carved into the rock, similar to the Sassi of Matera. The best known is the Barbaro cave house, protected by the FAI (the Italian National Trust).

The Pizzicantò, at the end of May

If you happen to be in Irsina at the end of May, during the feast of the Pietà, you can see the Pizzicantò: groups of people form a three-tier human tower that parades through the streets of the village, turning on itself, while the «pizzicantari» sing rhymes in dialect. It is one of the town's most beautiful traditions.

What to taste

Irsina is a land of wheat and vineyards, and its cuisine is Lucanian: simple, made of bread, olive oil, pulses and crusco pepper. Before you leave, stop by the bakery.

Come and see us in Piazza Maritain

Our shop is in Piazza Maritain, in Irsina. There you will find the day's bread and focaccia, sweets and all our treats to take home: cangelle in twelve flavours, wine taralli, vincotto mostaccioli and, at Christmas, our panettoni.

Directions are on the Contact page. And if you are already back home and still have a craving, you can order our treats here on the website: we ship them throughout Italy. Our story, meanwhile, is on the About us page.