Matera is one of the oldest cities in the world, a #UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a European Capital of Culture 2019... #tuttitaly
"It is a beautiful, picturesque, and impressive city." This is the way Carlo Levi describes Matera in Christ Stopped at Eboli.
The sixteenth-century chronicler Verricelli, on the other hand, in his Chronicle of the city of Matera 1595-1596, finds in the Sassi the resemblance to a starry sky, "when the inhabitants lit the lights at dusk."
The historical center of Matera
Located on a rocky outcrop in Basilicata in southern Italy, Matera is known worldwide for its Sassi. These are two districts, Sasso Caveoso, and Sasso Barisano, formed by buildings dug into the calcarenite, inhabited since prehistoric times.
Curiosity: The Sassi are the backdrop for various national and international films. Mel Gibson set the exteriors of The Passion of the Christ here.
The Sasso Barisano is full of sculpted portals and friezes that hide its underground heart; the Sasso Caveoso resembles a theatrical cavea, with the houses arranged in steps.
The two districts are separated by the rocky spur of the Civita, on top of which are the Cathedral and the noble palaces. Together they form the historical center of Matera.
In 1993 the Sassi was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, accepted with the definition of "cultural landscape"; in 2014, "European capital of culture 2019".
Today, visiting several "cave houses" furnished with period furniture and handcrafted utensils is possible. But there's more, some caves have been transformed into accommodation facilities equipped with every comfort.
Domenica, a much-appreciated innkeeper, is always available to the visitor who chooses to stay in magical Matera. For more details, click here.
Religious buildings
In Matera, there are about 150 churches carved into the rock. The most important are Santa Lucia alle Malve, the Convicinio di Sant'Antonio, Santa Maria di Idris, San Pietro Barisano, and San Pietro Caveoso.
The Cathedral, in Apulian Romanesque style, was built in the XIII century. We can see a Byzantine fresco of the Madonna della Bruna, a sixteenth-century nativity scene, and a fresco depicting the Final Judgment. Outside, the bell tower is 52 m high.
Worthy of note, in the San Giuliano district, is the Crypt of the Original Sin, defined, for its cycle of frescoes, the "Sistine Chapel of the rock."
Civil architectures
Palazzo Lanfranchi (1668-1672) houses the National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of Basilicata.
Inside the historic Palazzo Pomarici (16th-18th century), we can visit the MUSMA (Museum of Contemporary Sculpture - Matera)
The Palombaro Lungo, the giant underground water tank in Matera, is located under the pavement of Piazza Vittorio Veneto, dominated by the eighteenth-century Palazzo dell'Annunziata.
Palazzo del Sedile (1540) and the Governor's Palace (17th century), the first seat of the Royal Audience of Basilicata, overlook Piazza Sedile.
Gastronomy
The typical dish of the area is pignata, a mutton-based stew whose origins date back to Basilicata's peasant and pastoral world. Also worth tasting is the fragrant and delicious Matera bread.
Conclusion
Matera is the ideal destination for those who want to disconnect from everyday life, explore one of the oldest cities in the world, and let themselves be amazed by the formidable surprises that appear step by step in the lanes and steps of the Sassi.
An experience to try once in a lifetime: sleeping in one of the rooms dug out of the typical rock of Matera.
In Sasso Barisano, 700 m from Piazza Vittorio Veneto and 500 m from the most exciting tourist attractions, you will find the house of Domenica, defined by tourists as a "beautiful and suggestive location," a splendid environment, with attention to the minor details. For more information, click here.
