▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁and ▁most ▁beautiful ▁festiv als ▁of ▁sain ts ▁of ▁the ▁Bas il ic ata , ▁showing ▁still ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁authentic ▁old ▁folk ▁custom s . ▁The ▁shr ine , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁famous ▁of ▁Bas il ic ata , ▁is ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁church ▁of ▁San ▁Francesco ▁in ▁Ass isi ▁and ▁received ▁the ▁gift ▁of ▁a ▁re lic ▁of ▁the ▁patron ▁saint ▁of ▁Italy . ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁san ctu ary ▁gets ▁from ▁' UN ES CO ▁recognition ▁of ▁Monument o ▁a ▁mess enger ▁of ▁peace ▁culture ▁to ▁the ▁prof ound ▁spiritual ▁values ▁that ▁for ▁centuries ▁forward . ▁ ▁Natural istic ▁ ▁The ▁Forest ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁natural ▁beauty ▁of ▁the ▁wood ▁is ▁R ip ac and ida , ▁though ▁little ▁appreciated . ▁Cal led ▁the ▁Great ▁Forest , ▁perhaps ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁originally ▁more ▁of ▁a ▁big ▁region . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁resid ues ▁of ▁the ▁immense ▁for ests ▁that ▁covered ▁the ▁Luc ania ▁( for ▁Latin ▁luc us ▁= ▁wood ), ▁now ▁much ▁reduced ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁un control led ▁cut s . ▁Com posed ▁of ▁tall ▁trees ▁such ▁as ▁o aks , ▁ced ars , ▁etc .. ▁For ▁centuries ▁it ▁has ▁employed , ▁fed ▁and ▁warm ▁during ▁the ▁cold ▁winter s ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁R ip ac and ida ▁and ▁neighbor ing ▁countries . ▁The ▁pe as ants , ▁including ▁women ▁fear less ▁and ▁courage ous , ▁they ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁woods ▁to