Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Matera is said to be one of the world's oldest towns, dating back to the Palaeolithic Age
and inhabited continuously for around 7000 years. The simple natural grottoes that dotted
the gorge were adapted to become homes, and an ingenious system of canals regulated the
flow of water and sewage. In the 8th century the caves became home to Benedictine and
Basilian monks; the earliest cave paintings date from this period.
MATERA IN…
One Day
Zip out to the
Belvedere
(
Click here
)
for a photo-snap of the
sassi
(former cave dwellings) before any heat haze
sets in. Back in the
sassi,
approach Sasso Barisano via Via Fiorentini and wind your way along to the monastic
complex of
Madonna delle Virtù and San Nicola dei Greci
(
Click here
)
with its original frescoes. Then head
for more frescoes in the rock churches of Sasso Caveoso,
Santa Maria d'Idris
(
Click here
) and
Santa Lucia alle
Malve
(
Click here
). Wander through the
sassi,
imagining life in a cave, stopping to learn about Matera's fascinat-
ing system of underground cisterns at
La Raccolta delle Acque
(
Click here
)
.
Early evening, enjoy a
passeggiata
(evening stroll) in and around lively Piazza Vittorio Veneto, followed by dinner at classic
Ristorante Il Cantuc-
cio
(
Click here
).
Two Days
On day two, allow a couple of hours to visit the
Cripta del Peccato Originale
, with its magnificent frescoes.
Then either spend the rest of the day hiking in the
gorge
or squeeze in a few museums in town, including the
Museo Nazionale d'Arte Medievale e Moderna della Basilicata
, which showcases Carlo Levi's bold panorama
of village life,
Lucania '61
. In the heart of Sasso Caveoso the
Casa-Grotta di Vico Solitario
(
Click here
)
may
sound a tad contrived but really
does
provide a vivid picture of former living conditions here - both the pictur-
esque and rudimentary aspects. For contemporary sculptures, visit the cave-set
Museo della Scultura Contem-
poranea
(
Click here
). Finish off with dinner and sunset vistas in a cave at stylish
Baccanti
(
Click here
).
The prosperous town became the capital of Basilicata in 1663, a position it held until
1806 when the power moved to Potenza. In the decades that followed, an unsustainable
increase in population led to the habitation of unsuitable grottoes - originally intended as
animal stalls - even lacking running water. The dreadful conditions fostered a tough and
independent spirit: in 1943, Matera became the first Italian city to rise up against German
occupation.
By the 1950s more than half of Matera's population lived in the
sassi,
typical caves
sheltering families with an average of six children. The infant mortality rate was 50%. In
his poetic and moving memoir,
Christ Stopped at Eboli,
Carlo Levi describes how chil-
dren would beg passers-by for quinine to stave off the deadly malaria. Such publicity fi-
nally galvanised the authorities into action and in the late 1950s about 15,000 inhabitants
