Matera

Matera: A Journey Through Time Over 7,000 Years

Matera isn't just a city, it's an epic. Few places in the world offer the chance to traverse millennia of history in a single step. Here, the tuff walls aren't just rock: they are chapters in a human saga, a continuous evolution that celebrates resilience and ingenuity.

Here are the moments that have shaped the unique identity of the City of Stones, making it an unmissable destination:

1. The Troglodyte Birth: The Man and the Rock

Matera's first, fundamental moment dates back to the Paleolithic . The city arose from man's primordial choice to inhabit the natural caves of the Murgia. The settlement was not accidental: it was an ingenious interaction with the environment. The first inhabitants built not on rock, but in rock, excavating, shaping, and adapting the natural habitat. This founding act created the unique matrix of the Sassi , an urban organism in which the roof of one house becomes the path of another.

2. The Rock Age: Faith and Community

Between the Early Middle Ages and the Modern Age, the Sassi flourished. This was the era of the Rupestrian Civilization . Monks and farming communities transformed the caves into refined Rupestrian Churches , veritable treasure troves of art with Byzantine frescoes that still leave you breathless today (such as in the Crypt of Original Sin). The Sassi were structured into "neighborhoods," Palombaro Lungo water systems testifying to cutting-edge hydraulic engineering.

3. Darkness and “National Shame” (20th Century)

After centuries of growth and stratification, the most painful moment arrives. In the post-war period, isolation and overcrowding transformed the uniqueness of the Sassi into a symbol of degradation and poverty, defined by Palmiro Togliatti as a "national shame ." This led to the Special Law of 1952 and the subsequent displacement of residents to new neighborhoods. A crucial moment that marked a turning point: the pain of abandonment laid the foundation for rebirth.

4. The Rebirth and UNESCO Recognition (1993)

The true turning point. After decades of neglect and redevelopment, the world recognized the inestimable value of Matera. In 1993 , the Sassi were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a historical justification: they are an exceptional "cultural landscape" and the "most intact testimony to a troglodyte human settlement in the Mediterranean." Matera stopped viewing the past as a burden and began to project itself as a model of recovery.

5. European Capital of Culture (2019)

The culmination of its global rebirth. Being named European Capital of Culture for 2019 has established Matera as a living cultural laboratory and a symbol of redemption. The event brought investment, creativity, and a wave of international visitors, transforming the ancient caves into scattered hotels, exhibition centers, and boutiques. It is the moment when Matera definitively asserts itself as a bridge between past and future .

Matera today is not just preserved history; it is living inspiration . It's a place where you can touch prehistory in the morning and sip a designer aperitif in a cave in the evening.

Are you ready to experience the history that awaits you in every alley of the Sassi?

Secret Matera: The Curiosities That Make the Sassi Legendary

Thought you knew Matera? You were wrong. Behind its majestic UNESCO beauty lie stories, hidden engineering, and legends that transform every visit into a true exploration.

Here is the lesser-known, but most fascinating, side of the City of Stones:

1. The Entirely Underground City

The famous Sassi are just the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the Piano, the modern neighborhood, lies a completely invisible Matera . It is the masterpiece of ancient hydraulic engineering: the Palombaro Lungo , an immense underground cathedral entirely carved out of the tuff. It was no ordinary cistern, but the city's main reservoir , a water system so ingenious that it guaranteed water for centuries, demonstrating that ancient Matera was a marvel of "bio-architectural" self-sufficiency.

2. From "Shame" to the Film Set

The story of Matera is one of incredible redemption. After being labeled a "national shame" due to its post-war living conditions, the city has reborn, becoming a favorite location for great directors. Matera has been the perfect, dramatic setting for films such as The Gospel According to Matthew and Christ Stopped at Eboli . Even today, it is often chosen to represent ancient Jerusalem (for example, in The Passion and the latest version of Ben-Hur James Bond chase scenes in No Time to Die .

3. Roofs That Become Streets (And Vice Versa)

In the Sassi, perspective is reversed. Here, the concept of "neighborhood" reaches its maximum expression: the roof of a house is the floor of the upper alley . Walking, you never know whether you're standing above a dwelling, a cistern, or an ancient cave. This cascading system isn't just scenic, it's the very essence of its troglodyte architecture, a complex stratification that has allowed the city to expand vertically and horizontally for millennia.

4. Matera Bread: The Yellow Gold of Tradition

In Matera, even food is part of history. The famous Pane di Matera PGI (Protected is not just a simple food, but a symbol of identity. Made with durum wheat semolina, it has an unmistakable shape reminiscent of the Murgia mountains. A curious fact? In ancient times, each family would carve a small wooden stamp (often in the shape of a cross) into the bread to distinguish it from the others, before taking it to the neighborhood oven to bake. A ritual that bears witness to their deep-rooted peasant culture.

5. The “Cave House”: A Microcosm of Real Life

Visiting a -Cave House reveals that caves were not just humble shelters, but truly complex ecosystems. Families lived in unique spaces with their domestic animals (especially donkeys, essential for transportation) not out of negligence, but to harness body heat and maintain a milder interior during the cold winter nights. A pragmatic and ingenious survival strategy, typical of cave civilizations.

Matera is proof that true wealth lies not in luxury, but in ingenuity and history. Discover the city that has defied time and rewritten its own destiny.

Matera, Cradle of Geniuses: The Names That Illuminated History

Matera is a hotbed of history and culture, and its profound identity has nurtured figures who have excelled in every field, from art to social commitment. These are the heirs of the Sassi, who have brought Lucanian genius to the national and international stage.

 Artists and Intellectuals

Domenico Ridola (1841 – 1932): The Doctor Who Carved History

Not just a doctor, but a true pioneer of Matera's archaeology . Domenico Ridola is the key figure who, with tireless passion and his own resources, rediscovered the immense prehistoric riches of the area. His excavations and collections not only confirmed the antiquity of the Sassi, but also became the core of the National Archaeological Museum that bears his name . A man whose intuition literally unearthed the city's roots .

Giovanni Pascoli (1855 – 1912): The Adoption Poet

Although not a native, Pascoli's figure is crucial. It was in Matera that the great poet spent a significant period as a teacher at the Classical High School. His stay left a profound mark, so much so that the splendid panoramic square overlooking the Sassi is named Piazzetta Pascoli , the place from which one can admire the city's architectural "nativity scene."

The Protagonists of the Redemption

Raffaele Giura Longo (1930 – 2018): The Mayor of the Renaissance

He is one of the most decisive political figures in the recent history of Matera. He was the Mayor who not only managed the delicate and difficult evacuation of the Sassi, but also initiated the first, fundamental process of their recovery and valorization . Giura Longo was the first to understand that the Sassi were not a "disgrace," but a heritage site to be saved. His vision was the basis for their future UNESCO recognition.

Francis Ford Coppola (Born in Detroit, with roots in Bernalda, MT): The Cinematic Connection

Not a native of Matera, the entire Basilicata region proudly claims its connection to the Oscar-winning director. His family roots, rooted in nearby Bernalda (Matera), have created an indelible bridge between Hollywood and Southern Italy, casting an international spotlight on the region and strengthening Matera's role as the film capital of Southern Italy.

 New Contemporary Voices

Eustachio “Tachi” Montemurro (Born in Matera): The Face of Lucanian Identity

An actor and theater director, he is one of the most authentic voices of contemporary Matera culture. Through his work, Tachi Montemurro has captured the life, traditions, and challenges of Basilicata with wit, passion, and depth, becoming an important artistic ambassador of Lucanian identity .

Matera is the city that taught the world to look at the past with new eyes. These figures, each in their own way, helped city's future

Which of these stories inspires you most for your journey through the Sassi?

The Sassi Cuisine: The Authentic Flavor of Lucanian Land

Forget fast food. In Matera, cuisine is a journey back in time, where simplicity transforms into masterpieces and every dish tells the story of a resilient and ingenious peasant civilization.

The flavors of Matera are authentic, strong, and inextricably linked to the products of the land and the humble tradition that has transformed humble ingredients into true gastronomic experiences.

1. Cialledda: The Appetizer That Tastes of History

A dish that celebrates peasant ingenuity. Cialledda idea of ​​wasting nothing:

• Cold Cialledda (or Acquasale ): Made with Matera PGI bread (the real star), moistened with water and seasoned with salt, local extra virgin olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and oregano. A refreshing summer soup that enhances the flavor of bread with the simplicity of vegetables.
• Cialledda Calda: A winter variation featuring bread dipped in vegetable or legume broth, often topped with poached eggs. It's the quintessential "poor man's food" transformed into a comfort for the soul.

2. Lagane and Chickpeas: Rugged Pasta and the Gold of the Murgia

The first course you can't skip. Lagane is a type of fresh pasta, a precursor to tagliatelle, made without eggs, with water and durum wheat flour. Their rough texture is perfect for scooping up Matera's most iconic sauce: chickpeas from the Murgia .

The dish, Lagane e Ceci , is a tribute to the Mediterranean diet: lagane are sautéed with chickpeas (often cooked in a terracotta pot, called a pignata ), garlic, bay leaves, and plenty of olive oil. A rustic, satisfying flavor deeply rooted in the local agricultural cycle.

3. Crapiata Materana: The Harvest Festival on a Plate

More than a soup: a symbol of unity. Crapiata the traditional dish prepared in Matera for the harvest festival (celebrated on August 1st). Historically, each family would bring some of their harvest to the communal oven, creating a collective soup.

• The ingredients: A robust mix of legumes and grains —wheat, chickpeas, lentils, beans, grass peas, and broad beans.
• The meaning: It's not just a recipe, but a social act that symbolizes unity and sharing among the Sassi neighborhoods. It's a flavor that unites the community.

4. Mountain Beggar: The Cured Meat That Isn't Discarded

cured meat that tells a story. Pezzente , also known as Pezzente Sausage , isn't a cut of meat, but a philosophy. It's a cured meat made with the lesser cuts of meat (hence the name), but flavored with a generous amount of chili pepper, wild fennel, and other local spices. The result is an intense, spicy flavor. It can be enjoyed both fresh and aged, and is often the secret ingredient for enriching meat sauces.

Let yourself be captivated by a cuisine that has stood the test of time. In Matera, every bite is a dive into history.

Are you ready to savor authentic Lucanian tradition?