![]() He was, nevertheless, buried in Aliano, where people have been expecting a boom in Levi tourism ever since. The American had read the book and seen the movie so many times that he knew the story by heart, and he told us what the cemetery meant for Levi, who to the great disappointment of the villagers never returned to Basilicata after 1936, when he escaped from his exile. The four of us seemed to be the only tourists in town on this fine summer day in the high season. ![]() ![]() – Levi was a Jew, and it is a Jewish custom to place stones on the grave, an elderly American couple explained. On the grave is a pile of smaller stones. ![]() We walk around between grave walls and wonder why Italians even in the after life prefer to live in high rises before we finally find Levi’s grave between the two cypress trees, he describes in his book. And even the cemetery is geared for sightseeing. ![]() Midway between the old and the new town, a bronze bust of Levi on a pile of stones from observes town life and the scenery. Today Alianohas only 1000 inhabitants, but they are ever so proud of their claim on the fictional Gagliano that every house, every square, every wall and even some trees sport a small quote from the book. Visit Aliano: If you have ever visited the small town of Aliano in Basilicata, you will never forget where Carlo Levi wrote his famous book “ Cristo Si E Fermato a Eboli “ – about how Christ and Christianity never penetrated il mezzogiorno south of the town Eboli. ![]()
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