Matera

Matera is a city and comune in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. It is the capital of the historical province and sits in a rugged area formed by the Gravina di Matera, a deep limestone gorge. The city is famous for the Sassi, two cave-dwelling districts carved into the rock and extending along the hillside and the gorge: Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano. The Sassi are among the oldest inhabited settlements in Italy, with evidence of human presence dating back thousands of years. Over centuries, the dwellings were expanded by carving into the tufa rock and by adding stone houses around them.

In the 20th century, living conditions in the Sassi declined, leading to a mass relocation of residents in the 1950s. From the late 20th century onward, restoration and urban renewal transformed the area into a cultural hub and tourist destination. In 1993, the Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing the historic landscape of the city and its surrounding rock-cut churches.

Matera was designated European Capital of Culture for 2019, an acknowledgment of its long continuity of settlement, architectural uniqueness, and ongoing revival. Key landmarks include the Civita hilltop area with the Matera Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and several rupestrian churches such as Santa Lucia alle Cure and San Pietro Barisano, as well as the Palombaro Lungo, a large ancient cistern. The city has served as a filming location for various productions, notably Pasolini’s The Gospel According to Matthew (1964). Today, Matera’s economy centers on tourism, culture, and services, integrated with ongoing preservation of its historic fabric and surrounding landscape.