Grassano is a town and comune in the province of Matera, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is located between the Bradano and Basento rivers at an elevation ranging from about 150 to 576 metres (492 to 1,890 ft) above sea level. The town proper is 43 kilometres (27 mi) from Matera and 59 kilometres (37 mi) from the regional capital, Potenza.

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Quick Facts Country, Region ...

Grassano
Comune
Comune di Grassano
Coat of arms
Location of Grassano
Grassano Location of Grassano in Italy Show map of Italy Grassano Grassano (Basilicata) Show map of Basilicata
Coordinates: 40°38′N 16°17′E
Country	Italy
Region	Basilicata
Province	Matera
Government
• Mayor	Filippo Luberto
Area [1]
• Total	41.63 km2 (16.07 sq mi)
Elevation	576 m (1,890 ft)
Population  (2015)[2]
• Total	5,228[3]
Demonym	Grassanesi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	75014
Dialing code	0835
Patron saint	Saint Innocent
Saint day	September 22
Website	Official website

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Grassano was founded around 1000 AD. The first official document including the town's name is dated 1123, where it is reported as castellum quod vocatur Crassanum ("castle which is called Crassanum"). In the 15th century, Grassano was officially a rural seat of the Tricarico's Diocese. Grassano's people later asked King Ladislaus of Naples for an independence act, and Grassano has remained an independent village since January 19, 1414.

Carlo Levi was arrested and exiled to Grassano because of his anti-fascist activities. In Grassano, Levi painted about 70 pictures and started discovering southern Italy's problems. He described his experiences in Grassano in his most famous book, Christ Stopped at Eboli, which was published after the Second World War in 1945.

Anna Briganti, the grandmother of former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, originated in Grassano. By 1905 she was married and well-established in New York.^[4]

Since 2002, Grassano, with Aliano (the second place where Levi was exiled) is an active Literary Park.