As you may know, I have planned numerous Italy vacations, including a few with around 10 people. In 2025, however, I was asked to plan the most important one yet – a 10-person trip to Italy to visit an ancestral home in the tiny town of Irsina, Italy! Challenged accepted.
In this post, I’m sharing how our time in Irsina played out—and how you might plan a similar Italian roots-seeking experience of your own.
The whole family – plus me and Dan – in Irsina, Italia. WE MADE IT!
IRSINA, ITALIA
Irsina, Italy is a tiny, hilltop town in Basilicata. It is about 45 minutes from Matera by car, which is likely the closest city to Irsina that you know. The population is only around 5,000 people, including some ex-pats from the US (Irsina was the subject of an interesting CNN article in 2023 discussing its ex-pat community).
From its hilltop perch, Irsina over looks a sweeping grain plateau, which produces much of the pasta used in Italy(!). Given that fact, the city’s economy is, not surprisingly, largely based on agriculture. Tourism is an afterthought at best. Indeed, I did not see a single tourist-centric shop (or honestly even an open shop) during our time in Irsina.
Some of the grain fields surrounding Irsina. They are quite majestic.