Policoro is a town located in the province of Matera in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, near the ruins of the ancient city of Heraclea where King Pyrrhus of Epirus fought the Romans in 280 BC. Policoro has natural areas that are of great environmental and scientific interest and hosts a variety of wildlife. Tourism is important to the local economy and the town contains several squares, churches, and the town hall, as well as a small village that developed near a baronial castle in the Middle Ages. Nearby places of interest include Metaponto, Pollino, Maratea, and Matera.