Bernalda stands at 126 metres above the Ionian plain, half an hour from the sea and just under an hour from Matera. It has a Norman castle, one of the longest promenades in Basilicata – and a famous descendant: Francis Ford Coppola’s family comes from here, and the director has turned a palazzo in the centre into a hotel.
Around 12,000 people live in Bernalda. The town is often merely driven through, because Metapontum, with its temple remains and its beach, belongs to the same municipality. Yet the old centre is worth an evening in its own right: the corso is about 1.2 kilometres long, lined with palms and broad pavements, and in the evening it becomes the stage for the whole town.
What makes Bernalda special
Today’s Bernalda dates from 1497: Bernardino de Bernaudo, secretary to King Alfonso II of Aragon, moved the old settlement of Camarda and gave the new town his own name. It was laid out to a plan – hence the straight crossing of streets you notice while strolling.
What to see in Bernalda
The castle
Built by the Normans in the 11th century and later strengthened under the Aragonese. It stands at the edge of the old town above the slope; from there the view crosses the plain to the sea.
Mother church of San Bernardino da Siena
The mother church was built in 1530 and later extended with a second chapel. It is dedicated to the town’s patron saint.
Corso Umberto I
The town’s main axis, well over a kilometre long. This is where the evening passeggiata happens. For a trip from Matera it is the most enjoyable part: castle and church first, then an ice cream on the corso.
Palazzo Margherita
The palazzo in the centre belongs to Francis Ford Coppola, whose grandfather came from Bernalda. It is a hotel today; from outside it is part of the streetscape, and the bar in the courtyard is at times open to non-residents as well.
Metapontum and the beach
The municipality includes the district of Metaponto with some six kilometres of coast, the archaeological museum and the temple remains; the beach has held the Blue Flag for years. If you want to combine culture and swimming, you can have both in one day – more on that in our page on Metapontum.
Getting there from Matera
About 45 to 55 kilometres by car, 45 to 60 minutes, mostly on the SS 7 and the SS 407 Basentana. By train you travel via Metaponto and continue by bus; for a day trip the car is far more comfortable.
Best time to visit
May to October, when a detour to the sea fits in. The patronal feast of San Bernardino da Siena falls on 20 May, with further celebrations on 23 August. In July and August the town is busy in the evenings and the beaches at Metapontum are crowded.
A day in Bernalda
The excavations and museum at Metapontum in the morning, the beach at midday, up to Bernalda in the late afternoon for castle and old town, dinner on the corso. It is the most relaxed combination the Ionian coast offers.
