Striking Italy’s mysterious ghost town serves as a tourism attraction

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

A ‘completely abandoned’ town in Italy offers ‘an experience one won’t get anywhere else’. Craco was left a ghost town after a series of landslides and an earthquake.

Just 40 km Inland, Craco is a striking town built high on a steep summit for defensive reasons. But while the settlement dates back hundreds of years, Craco has been left ‘completely abandoned’ due to landslides.

In 1963, Craco began to be evacuated due to a series of landslides caused by sewage and water works. The picturesque town was a ghost town after the last residents moved out following the Irpinia earthquake in 1980.

Nowadays, tourists can visit the mysterious ghost town to get a glimpse into the life the town’s residents had to leave behind.

Craco might also be recognizable to movie fans as the abandoned settlement has been used in several blockbusters.

The Italian town was a featured location in the 2008 James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, and The Passion of the Christ starring Mel Gibson.

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