Oliveto Lucano is a small town that rises near Monte Croccia and is part of the territory of the Regional Natural Park of Gallipoli Cognato Piccole Dolomiti Lucane.
An involving calm and total serenity predominate in the village, whose territory is crossed by extensive and luxuriant olive groves, hence the name of the town, and centuries-old oaks.
The historic center is made particularly suggestive by the typical houses built in local stone and carved stone portals, but the visitor's eye is also captured by the characteristic finely inlaid wooden doors that stand out in some corners of the village, which date back to the period included between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
Oliveto Lucano is one of the eight municipalities of Basilicata where the "Maggio Olivetese" is staged every year from 10 to 12 August, an ancestral rite during which the "wedding in the trees" is celebrated, a turkey oak (May) and the top of holly chosen and cut in the splendid forest of Gallipoli Cognato.
Solemnity and cheerfulness represent the "leitmotif" of the "Maggio Olivetese", the arboreal rite of Oliveto Lucano, celebrated every year from 10 to 12 August, between sacred and profane. The two "newlyweds", Turkey oak and the holly top are chosen among the most beautiful and luxuriant in the forest of Gallipoli Cognato. The one is usually cut on the first Sunday of August, the other is selected and cut on 10 August. Their first meeting takes place in Piano Torcigliano, coming down from Monte Croccia, and leading the future "bride" along an eight kilometer journey are young people who intersperse the arduous journey with dancing, singing and frugal banquets washed down with lots of good local wine.
Same ritual for the transport of May, once drawn by pairs of vouchers, as still happens in most of the Lucan arboreal rites, today carried out on tractors. Meanwhile, in "via del Maggio" everything is ready, here in fact the grafting of the summit on the Turkey oak takes place, to symbolize the propitiatory meaning of fertility and fertility that surround the rite. The expected moment of the union takes place under the gaze of San Rocco , celebrated just in coincidence with the "marriage", in an atmosphere of high spirituality which confirms how much the Saint is revered like the patron saint of the country, San Cripriano.
