If you’re holidaying in the Basilicata region in the south of Italy, it’s highly recommended to take at least a day to visit the city of Matera. Lower down the mountain from the modern city are the Sassi Di Matera which means ‘Stones of Matera’.
Why not enjoy a stay at a stunning holiday rental in the Apulia region, bordering Basilicata and embark on a thrilling day trip here?
This name refers to the ancient caves which were carved into the mountain rock on either side of a narrow valley below the modern city of Matera.
These Neolithic and Palaeolithic dated caves are the finest examples of troglodyte settlements in the Mediterranean area which demonstrated a perfect balance with nature with practically self sufficient ecosystems in place. Tourists will be amazed to learn that this unusual yet striking rock cut settlement has been habituated by humans for over two millennia!
Why not enjoy a stay at a stunning holiday rental in the Apulia region, bordering Basilicata and embark on a thrilling day trip here?
This name refers to the ancient caves which were carved into the mountain rock on either side of a narrow valley below the modern city of Matera.
These Neolithic and Palaeolithic dated caves are the finest examples of troglodyte settlements in the Mediterranean area which demonstrated a perfect balance with nature with practically self sufficient ecosystems in place. Tourists will be amazed to learn that this unusual yet striking rock cut settlement has been habituated by humans for over two millennia!
If you book with an experienced tour guide, you will have the opportunity to walk around these ancient dwellings and learn that the first people to settle here discovered that the soft volcanic rock in the mountain valleys, called ‘tufo’ could easily be hewn into a cave, and the excavated rock could be used to built a sheltering wall in front of it.
With the advancement of more sophisticated tools during the Metal Ages, the people of Matera began developing more ambitious water systems within the mountain to help people access water more easily that gathered on the flat plateau on top of the mountain.
As more and more people gathered here and carved their homes into the valley, the roofs of the houses below became a rough road for those living on the level above, and so on. This became known as ‘spontaneous architecture’ as the structure of the buildings were built along the contours of the land which gives Matera its unique image.
It’s astounding for visitors to believe that aside from Petra in Jordan, Matera is the oldest human settlement that people continue to live in. It’s believed that the first settlers came here around 15,000BC! Huge changes in immigration to this magnificent settlement came in the 18th century.
With the advancement of more sophisticated tools during the Metal Ages, the people of Matera began developing more ambitious water systems within the mountain to help people access water more easily that gathered on the flat plateau on top of the mountain.
As more and more people gathered here and carved their homes into the valley, the roofs of the houses below became a rough road for those living on the level above, and so on. This became known as ‘spontaneous architecture’ as the structure of the buildings were built along the contours of the land which gives Matera its unique image.
It’s astounding for visitors to believe that aside from Petra in Jordan, Matera is the oldest human settlement that people continue to live in. It’s believed that the first settlers came here around 15,000BC! Huge changes in immigration to this magnificent settlement came in the 18th century.
More and more people were flooding in and building makeshift homes in cistern tunnels and anywhere else they could find. What was once a perfectly balanced and sufficient water system now became contaminated with overpopulation and poor hygiene.
In 1952, the Italian government was forced to evacuate those still living in their caves and move them to safer, cleaner housing that was built for them further up the mountain.
Today, many people have moved back into their caves and did the necessary renovations to make it safe and clean once more. There are even hotels made from some of the caves which have attracted many tourists in recent years.
In 1993, UNESCO declared “Sassi di Matera” as a World Heritage Site so its integrity is guaranteed to be preserved as it becomes an even more popular visitor destination. Click here to read about Italy's UNESCO World Heritage Sites!
In a related article you can learn all about some of the splendid architecture in Matera as well as information about this area’s food, wine and craft specialities. Matera is truly a wonderful and unique place to visit on your Italian holiday!
In 1952, the Italian government was forced to evacuate those still living in their caves and move them to safer, cleaner housing that was built for them further up the mountain.
Today, many people have moved back into their caves and did the necessary renovations to make it safe and clean once more. There are even hotels made from some of the caves which have attracted many tourists in recent years.
In 1993, UNESCO declared “Sassi di Matera” as a World Heritage Site so its integrity is guaranteed to be preserved as it becomes an even more popular visitor destination. Click here to read about Italy's UNESCO World Heritage Sites!
In a related article you can learn all about some of the splendid architecture in Matera as well as information about this area’s food, wine and craft specialities. Matera is truly a wonderful and unique place to visit on your Italian holiday!
Photo credits
picture 1: vic 15 / CC BY 2.0;
picture 2: Airin / CC BY-SA 1.0;
picture 3: Marcok / CC BY-SA 2.5
picture 1: vic 15 / CC BY 2.0;
picture 2: Airin / CC BY-SA 1.0;
picture 3: Marcok / CC BY-SA 2.5
