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Maschito is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni (Municipalities), of Forenza, Ginestra, Palazzo San Gervasio, Venosa. Located Northeast of Basilicata, a small town covering a hill named Mustafa about 594 meters above sea level. It is part of the Albanian ethnic island of Vulture and covers a surface of a bout 45-49 kilometers. Maschito has a typical Mediterranean climate with a slight difference because of its distance from the sea. The economy is based on agriculture, especially grapes and olives. As of 2005 the resident population was about 2000 inhabitants. Maschito was founded as a small town in 1467 under the care of Ferdinando of Aragon when George Castriota Skanderburgh was sent with numerous troops to fight the "Angioini" pretenders to the throne of Naples and the Barons. After the Capture of Kroja by the Turks and the abandonment of Suctari between 1478 and 147, the first migration of Albanians or Abëreshë came to the region called Basilicata. In 1533, when the Fortress of Corone fell, and the conquest of Albania was certain, the earliest Albanian arrivals were joined by a large number of Coronei (Greeks from Corone) who voluntarily followed Maldesi. The peace treaty between Charles V and the Sultan Sulimann II was signed in Constantinople on June, 1533. The plaza of the fortress Corone, located on the western boundary of Messina, was assigned to the Turks on the condition that the inhabitants who wished to leave could board a ship loaned by Charles V and find refuge in Italy. Therefore, the Coronei scattered through various parts of Southern Italy, settling in Basilcata, San Constantino Albanese, San Paolo Albanese which was called Casalnuovo Lucano between 1936 to 1962, and Farneta which received people from Ginestra, Barile and Maschito. At that time the, the territory of Maschito belonged to the Bishop of Venosa and the Prior of Gerosolmitano of Bari. By law, around November 17, 1539, the Notary Giacomo Citamiore of Venosa, and the Viceroy Don Pedros of Toledo who was ruler of Naples, ceded the aforementioned territory to Sig. John de Icis who pledged sixty six ducats (L. 280.50) a year to the Bishop and 20 ducats (L. 85) to the Prior of Bari. Sig. De Icis was able to settle Maschito by public law, verified by the notary of Giovanni Francesco, and the Judge Cosenza on September 26, 1541. The Albanian Greeks were obligated to pay one ducat (L. 4.25) a year from the annual income of each household, and 200 ducats extra a year if the number of homes increased by one. Maschito, becoming the Fife of Carafa D'Andria, the first of two centuries observed the Greek religious services in the S. Nicola Church, after which Catholic services were adopted by the Church.
