Legend has it that Tricarico was founded by two soldiers who escaped the Trojan War, a story not too unusual in Italy. The town is a little north of Calabria and a little south of Napoli. Potenza and Matera are the closest big cities. Tricarico is built on three mountains, and the air there is as pure as the day God gave it. There is no industry in Tricarico, nor has there ever been. The village boasts of three very old churches dating back to the third century and the watchtower, "Normanda", built in the thirteenth century.

The people are hardworking and friendly. Life is uncomplicated. Every morning and evening, the people gather in the Piazza Garibaldi for espresso and chit-chat that keeps the old stories alive. You will find some of the finest food and drink there--cheese, wine, bread, pasta, and oil--all produced by hand. The people have not lost touch with the land they intimately know, and they are among the best farmers in the world.

Most of the people live and die there, but, on the rare occasions that they leave Tricarico, they always want to return to live out their last days. The old village is filled with laughter, music, and hard work. The Tricarincese people are living proof that "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine."