City carved in the rock

Matera is a city in the Italian region of Basilicata, the capital of the province of Matera.
The old part of the city is carved into the rock and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This is one of the most unusual and interesting places in the country, as well as one of the oldest settlements in Europe, with a history of seven millennia. Matera has a magnificent old town with an almost untouched historical core, and a whole area of ​​ancient cave houses, included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The city is located in the eastern part of the Basilicata region at an altitude of 401 meters above sea level. Matera borders the southwestern part of the province of Bari and has a hot subtropical climate.

Historians consider Matera to be one of the oldest permanent settlements in the world. Its history spans from 7 to 10 thousand years. The modern city was founded by the Romans in the 3rd century BC. After the collapse of the Roman Empire (in the 7th century AD), the city was conquered by the Lombards and became part of the Duchy of Benevento.

In the 7th – 8th centuries, the nearby grottoes were inhabited by monks, mostly of the Benedictine order. In the 9th and 10th centuries, Matera suffered several sieges from the Saracens and the Byzantines. In the first half of the 11th century, the city became part of the Norman possessions. In the 15th century, Matera became an Aragonese possession and was transferred to the ownership of the Tramontano barons.

In the 17th century, Matera was transferred to the county of Orsini and actually became part of Apulia. Later, the city was chosen as the capital of the province of Basilicata, maintaining this status until 1806.

Matera is a magnificent old city that includes a network of habitable caves inhabited since the Paleolithic. The city is full of ancient architecture and ancient churches, charming narrow streets and lanes, stone stairs and observation decks with stunning views, beautiful courtyards strewn with bright green cacti, small trees and flowers.

The urban landscape of Matera has retained a “biblical character” in some way, and walking through its ancient streets is like stepping back in time. Therefore, the city is often used as a natural setting when shooting historical films.

The Sassi is the pearl of Matera, a magnificent cultural landscape of ancient inhabited caves and medieval stone houses inhabited since the Paleolithic. The area is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is one of the most atmospheric places in Italy.