Matera from the other side of the ravine
There are few places that really “blow me away” but Matera tops the list. Of course I imagine there are other amazing places in the world, but I have not been to them. Matera is another Unesco World Heritage Site. It is one of those places where you can see and feel the incredible history of human presence. There is evidence and you can believe it just by being there that there has been the presence of man in small groups and villages continuously from Paleolithic to the Neolithic ages, till the following Bronze and Iron ages throughout this land. The permanent settlement of the hill of Civita (which is where my great B&B was located) date back to the Neolithic age.
Looking down to Sasso Caveoso towards the Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso and the Madonna de Idris
The city is divided into three areas: the Civita which is the medieval zone, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso. The city is built on an geographic structure of tufaceous rock which is a fairly soft rock and can be carved into. Naturally occuring caves provided early dwellings. The high part, the Civita, became the administrative, public and religious centre and was fortified starting in the year 1,000. The history of the area is extremely strong in the religious sector with churches being the main theme. Even on the other side of the ravine, the caves I saw from my cute B&B contained churches carved into the rock.
The view from my rooftop terrace
Speaking of those caves, I was very determined about wanting to hike down the side of the mountain from Matera, through the ravine and up the other side to go and investigate them. I could see pathways. I asked at the tourist centres where from town you could embark on this journey and everybody kept telling me that you could not. But I could see paths and I could also see on some maps some delineation of trails. So on my second day, I started walking around the edge of the city wall determined to find a place where I could get over or through it. Sure enough, there was a set of stairs. Not well used, but there nevertheless. So off I went.
A view of the caves and you can also see the paths I wanted to climb
I am not going to say it was an easy hike and it was also hot. By the time I got to the other side and the caves I encountered other tourists who had been brought their by bus on the other side to the top where a fairly well worn path allowed for them to explore and access the caves without having to do the harder hike that I did. I wanted the exercise though and I got to explore the caves pretty much alone so that was a real perk for me. I also got views of other caves that they would not have been able to access from their bus-path approach.
The bottom of the ravine
A view from within one of the caves. There is still paint of sorts on the walls from an earlier era
Anyway, I digress. There is just so much to see in Matera it is hard to know where to start when talking about it. By the early 20th century however there was change occuring in the territory of the Stones (the two Sassi areas). Most of the free areas occupied by small back-gardens were disappearingò churches, stables, warehouses, cellars and snow warehouses were modified and being changed into houses. There was a collapse in the quality of the houses where they became what can now still be seen as the quaint and suggestive yet tragic and sorrowful final aspect. The problem was that the population kept increasing and sanitary conditions kept worsening. I went and visited a display they have of an actual dwelling as it may have existed. It was really cool (the pictures are on my blackberry so I can’t post them at the moment). But they actually kept their animals in a lower cave within the same dwelling that they lived and they didn’t have running water or toilets.
The inside of an abandoned stone house
A law which came into play in the 1950s saw a large part of the population transferred to new living areas. This left portions of Sassi Caveoso evacuated with the only remaining inhabited part being a narrow strip of houses located, one after another, on the first two terraces looking out over the edge of the ravine. However you can still walk through some of the old dwellings and go inside to see them left in their state of deterioration which is very interesting. You can try to imagine how people might have lived in them.
One of the many sets of stairs linking terraces
What is really neat are the number of buildings and structures that date from 1,100 onward. If it wasn’t for the fact that this place became a UNESCO site it may have been left to continue to fall into disrepair. So the fact that it has been saved and continually restored is a testament to that program. It would be such a shame to lose such an amazing place. The ominousness of the stone structures, the primitiveness of the dwellings contrasted however with the unique and resourceful approaches man used to make the area work and liveable. I could go on forever, but for now will let some pictures speak for themselves.
Tunnels and walkways throughout the town
Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi built in the 1200s
The contrast of historic and modern
Such and amazing place
Matera sounds absolutely fascinating – lucky you!!