Matera

Deep in isolated Basilicata, right on the toe of Italy and accordingly well off the tourist trail, Matera exists today in two halves, with the modern upper district coexisting with the UNESCO World Heritage-listed lower half of town. The latter forms a haunting district known for its sassi, stone houses gouged out of the soft tufa rock straggling down into the gorge of the River Gravina, creating the quarters of Sasso Barisano with Sasso Caveoso lying below. Although it is thought that some of these troglodyte cave dwellings date from prehistoric times, what is known for sure is that monks inhabited them way back in the eighth century while seeking refuge from religious persecution.
Over the centuries more than 150 minuscule churches and hermitages were carved deep into the cliffside, and by the 18th century a community thrived here, some people in rudimentary accommodation and others in palatial, multi-storied residences that penetrated far into the rock and were entered through smart, traditional frontages complete with doors and windows. The 1950s saw the downfall of the sassi houses as poverty and malaria forced their residents out of the caves and into new housing in the modern town. However, since the UNESCO listing of Matera’s sassi in 1993, tourism has played a part in resettling the cave-houses; entrepreneurial locals have moved back in, creating hotels, bars and restaurants, while the caves earn their keep standing in for ancient cities such as Jerusalem in films including Mel Gibson’s controversial The Passion of Christ.

Practical Info

Matera is in the remote Italian region of Basilicata, which can be accessed by car or rail from Bari’s Karol Wojtyła airport. The tourist office is at Via Rosselli 1 and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 to 8 p.m. It's also open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guided tours of the sassi are available in several languages.