Meet Matera, Italy that fascinates its charm and history • Tourism • Forbes Mexico

The windows, says Vito, made a difference at that time. There was an alarmingly high infant mortality rate in the dark and humid cave housing of the Sassi. Matera’s window seems to symbolize modern hygiene, light, fresh air and cleaning.

Today, tourists walk through the restored neighborhoods of the old town. The artisans sell memories of Toba, and specialized stores sell paste, cakes, olives and regional cheeses. Not long ago, things were very different.

Vito was born and grew in Matera. He tells us the story of this incredible city, one of the oldest in the world. Here, in Las Cuevas, people have lived from the stone age, and Greeks and Romans arrived through the nearby gorge.

In the Middle Ages, the Normans brought prosperity to this area for the first time. A bonanza period that continued under the domain of the Hohestaufen dynasty. The rich feudal lords built magnificent palaces. Agricultural workers who had to work in their fields were staying in the caves. There were many. The people here had always excavated their simple homes in the soft stone. In Matera, they do not build one on top of each other, they build on earth, Vito laughs.

But there was no sewage, light or electricity. Life was hard. People lived very close. They shared the few open spaces and the water was limited. Only the special sense of community that created this proximity gave them social support.

For a long time, it seemed that this little corner of the world had fallen into oblivion; No one in the modern world cared this remote place in southern Italy, home of 20,000 people. In Matera there was practically nothing more than the Sassi.

In 1945 the book was published “Christ only reached Éboli”in which Carlo Levi describes life in Basilicata. Under the government of Mussolini, many political opponents were exiled to this region, forgotten at the end of the world. Levi was one of them. In his book, he describes the isolation of the peoples and the conditions in which people still lived in the mid -twentieth century. Malaria was particularly extended in Matera. Infant mortality was high.

The Italy of the early 1950s contemplated this city with amazement, as if it were a dirty and homeless girl. Suddenly, people felt shame and considered Matera a misfortune.

Suddenly, the government initiated a cleaning project. They wanted to quickly eliminate intolerable conditions and improve people’s lives. Forced relocation was ordered. All residents had to leave the Sassi. They had no choice. The 20,000 residents now lived in strange new social homes with running water. They were still desperately poor, but they had lost the social support of their Sassi neighbors.

The cave housing of the Sassi remained empty and gradually deteriorated. In the 1960sPier Paul’s Paolo Pasolini He used the abandoned Matera as a stage for a film about the Gospel of Matthew. And so it was that at one point, government projects were launched to restore the old caves. Financial support was promised to those who would accept the cabins, install pipes and guarantee hygiene conditions. But people shook their heads, misunderstood. First they evicted them, and now they were supposed to pay to return to their old homes?

Even today, most Sassi belongs to the State. Only a few cave houses are privately owned. In 1993, UNESCO recognized the uniqueness of this incredible city. They tried to explain to people to invest in their restoration would be profitable. In ten years, they could live from visitors who would arrive in mass. But in the 1990s, almost no one had heard of Matera. Neither in Europe nor in Italy. Then, unexpectedly, Matera received a new impulse from a completely different source: cinema. Mel Gibbsson had chosen the city as a stage for his film about the passion of Christ. As soon as the film was released, the long -awaited visitors arrived.

In 2019, Matera was even European Capital of Culture. More and more people know this place on the outskirts of Basilicata. However, when James Bond’s last film with Daniel Craig, No time to diehe reached the big screen, the narrow streets of the Sassi will have been the scene of exciting persecutions.

Our guide says that most visitors only come here for one day from the beaches of Apulia. The truth is that it is too little. It is true, as I am discovering it myself. While we have a coffee with Vito in a good bar and chat over his city, I realize that we have very little time. Although we will stay here one night, it is practically impossible to explore everything. I would love to stay longer, walk through winding alleys, discover hidden rock churches and visit the museums.

Anyway, we already have Vito, a local guide, by our side. Know the area and show us fantastic places that, otherwise, we would have overlooked. I fell in love with his APE, that little three -legged vehicle, at first glance. To have an overview and familiarize us with Matera, I reserved a tour with him. We can walk through the alleys on our own later. Thus, at least we know where we go when we explore on foot.

Vito says that his grandmother, who is already 90 years old, still doesn’t understand what he is doing here. Why do they pay you to take them for the Sassi and tell you stories of the past? Who would look at something like that? He said, shaking his head. But, luckily, there are many people interested in this special place. Matera has gone from being an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan.

Over the years, the ancient Sassi have recovered more and more life. The old caves now offer accommodation with equipped kitchens and elegant design baths. Elegant hotels offer accommodation nights, as an unusual experience. The prices in the heart of the old town are, consequently. After having a tea in a cracking, we were quite surprised to ask us € 7 for two cups of hot water (so you can skip yourself The Creamy. Anyway, it is not precisely pleasant there ).

For dinner, we left the Sassi and headed to the new part of the town. It is not so romantic, but we can eat here at normal prices. Antonio, from our B&B, recommended the ristorant Rivelli. A small family business, he said. But when we entered that night, it seemed quite elegant.

We ask antipasti as entrance and we can’t stop exclaim: « ¡Cinco vegetable variants, each more delicious than the previous one! They are relatively simple traditional entries, but prepared with exquisiteness and exquisite flavor. Eggplant in tomato sauce, local refritos, achicoria and olives. We would have loved to repeat the entrance dish. But then the pasta arrives: orecchiette With ricotta, tomato and arugula. A poem! He knows as if the chef had bathed her in spicy garlic butter. Some special trick uses to transform simple pasta into this celestial experience.

Michi, my partner, also asked lambor lamb. He was delicious and prepared completely different from what is accustomed in Barcelona. I suspect that young and ambitious chefs, on the way to their first star, are working. So I am even more surprised when a mature woman with white hair leaves the kitchen and greets the diners from the table next door. He also asks if we enjoy food. Simply fantastic!

My tips for Matera:

The Matera Sassi are not the cave houses, but the districts of Sasso caveoso y Sasso Barisano . However, almost all of the 60,000 inhabitants of Matera live in the newly created districts. Vito suggests that you have to imagine the city as a W: The cathedral in the center and the Sassi in the adjacent hollows.

Tour of the city with guide in APE:

There are many tours for apes in Matera. We reserve with Vito and we are very satisfied with our decision. He guided us in Spanish, also offers his tours in English and even speaks a bit of German: APVITO.com

The Vito Tour includes a visit to a Grotta house. The explanations are available even in German.

Cave house
Sasso Barisano
Via Fiorentini 251
75100 Matera

In El Convent of Sant’Agostino a small corridor to the left leads to an old church-growt that was built there long before the current church.

Reading tips on Matera’s Sassi:

You can find excellent articles by Claudia at Penandsea.net and Elke in Meerblog.de

Restaurant Council:

RIVELLI RESTAURANT
Via Casalnuovo, 169
75100 Matera
Sitio Web: Restaurant-Raid

Bed and Breakfast Il Cucù
Via Casalnuovo, n. 227
75100 Matera

We stayed at the B&B Il CuCù. A small and charming guest house where Antonio and Elisabetta received us with love. It is a bit cold in winter, but it is very cozy. From there, you can reach the old town in a few minutes on foot. They allowed us to park the car in the garage, since the parking spaces are very scarce in Matera.

Matera parking: If you arrive by car, regardless of where spell, be sure to have space to park. Parking in the Matera Sassi is impossible, and in much of the old town is only allowed for residents. Which is quite sensible.

A small advice for the viewpoint:

He Belvedere of Murgia Timone, On the other side of the gorge, it is a popular viewpoint, since from there you can clearly see the two Sassi, which extend in the form of W around the central square, next to the cathedral. However, access to the area is prohibited for vehicles on weekends. Only tourism or taxis buses is allowed.

A good recommendation is the Rock Church of the Virgin Mary . From there, you can enjoy perfect views of the valley and the city, and access is free.

How to get:

Although Matera is in Basilicata, the nearest airport is Bari, In Apulia. If you travel to the region, it is certainly worth planning more than a day to explore Matera and its surroundings. In addition to the places of interest, you will find numerous cave churches and old caves in the natural environment of Matera.

This article and its photos are reproduced with authorization from the author.