Since the dawn of time, Matera has existed. From the Paleolithic Age (the Old Stone Age) to the Neolithic Age (the New Stone Age), it is one of the most fascinating places in the world. As one of three continually inhabited places on the planet, Matera has a story you will want to hear.

It is a treasure chest of the layered history of man and his intelligence. Man never left. Archaeological remains of a human skeleton were found dating back 250,000 years.

Unlike many hilltop towns which are built onto the rock, Matera is built into the rock. There are over 3,500 caves dug into the rock in the Sassi, which means stones.

The extent of the squalid conditions and poverty in the Sassi only came to international attention when writer, Carlo Levi, was exiled by Mussolini for his political activism to a town close to Matera in 1935. In his book, ‘Christ stopped at Eboli’, published in 1945, Levi described the horror he witnessed. Carlo Levi was like the Bob Geldof of his time. The book was essentially saying “Italy, shame on you. Shame on you for letting Basilicata become so poor and unhygienic. Shame on you for not taking better care of your citizens.” There was no running water; no sanitation; people lived with their livestock in abject poverty and caves were damp and derelict.

In 1950 the Italian Prime Minister visited Matera which he described as “a national disgrace”. This set in motion a chain of events that led to the first evacuation of 15,000 people in 1952 to newly built homes in the outer areas of the Sassi. In the 1960s a new Bill determined that the Sassi be completely evacuated and abandoned. Most people were happy to leave.

It was Carlo Levi who opposed that the Sassi be allowed to slip into oblivion and deterioration. The area had to be preserved and protected for its historical and social value. In 1986 a new law was passed to move people back in. In a complete turnaround from the fifties, the government encouraged the Sassi’s revival by subsidising restoration work. Artisans moved in to set up workshops while bars, restaurants and boutique hotels and B&Bs opened up in renovated cave dwellings.

Three events occurred that put Matera on the tourist map. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Contrary to belief it was not for the city’s history or architecture. Matera had no water source, so an ingenious system of rainwater channels and cisterns was excavated beneath homes. It was these channels and cisterns that earnt Matera inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Secondly, Mel Gibson filmed ‘The Passion of the Christ’ in 2004. There have been no fewer than 30 films made in Matera including ‘Wonder Woman’ in 2016 and the 25th James Bond movie, ‘No Time to Die’ in 2019.

Fun fact:

The high speed chase involving the Aston Martin DB5 tore through the Piazza Duomo and the narrow alleys of Sasso Barisano. To ensure the cars could grip the slick limestone streets during the stunts, the production team reportedly sprayed 8,400 gallons of Coca-Cola onto the roads. The sugary residue created a tacky surface that allowed the tyres to maintain traction.

Thirdly, in 2019 Matera became the European Capital of Culture, having beat 1500 entries. Imagine the joy!

This is the dramatic story of rebirth from “the national disgrace of Italy” to “the pride of Italy” in a relatively short period of time. Matera is a national treasure and no longer the dirty secret of Italy.

Matera is alive and lively, a place that lives between memory and the creation of a new history.

To walk the nine levels of the Sassi - one person’s roof is another person’s floor - is to feel the history of a bygone era. However, to truly understand the remarkable story of Matera, there are two must see places to visit.

One is the historic cave house of Vico Solitario. The single room dwelling was home to a family of eleven alongside their livestock. The earliest documentary record of the cave dwelling dates back to 1571. In 1952 the “Special Law” for the displacement of the Sassi is passed by the Italian parliament. The Viziello family officially vacates the cave. In 1977 the house is reopened to the public as a museum to preserve the memory of Sassi life.

The second place is Casa Noha, a historic noble residence. Unlike the humble cave dwelling of Vico Solitario, Casa Noha was a high status home built by an influential family, making it an architectural bridge between the “noble” city (Civita) and the “peasant” caves of the Sassi.

It was built in the 15th century by the noble Noha family. During restoration, traces of Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and Medieval settlements were found beneath its foundations, confirming that the site has been occupied for thousands of years.

Like the rest of the Sassi, the inhabitants of Casa Noha were eventually moved out following the 1952 Special Law. In 2004 the property was donated to Italy’s National Trust and in 2014 it opened to the public as a multimedia museum. Today you are taken on a unique and compelling multimedia journey with a film that relates the history of Matera.

We sleep in beautifully renovated caves in Sasso Caveoso with high domed ceilings and big luxurious beds that are unbelievably comfortable. We visit incredibly talented artisans in their shops who merge past history with modern. We savour every dish and every bite including the famous Matera bread and delicious local wines.

And of course we walk the Gravina Gorge that is the dramatic limestone canyon that defines the landscape and history of Matera. It acts as a natural border between the historic Sassi neighbourhoods and the wild Parco della Murgia Materana. To access the caves that are 10,000 years old on the other side, we cross a suspended wooden bridge that hangs just above the riverbed. Scattered throughout the gorge are stone sheepfolds, making it an “open air museum” of human habitation dating back to the Paleolithic Age.

This is an Italian adventure like no other, one that will leave indelible memories for ever.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb