The city carved into the rock, inhabited for nine thousand years
On the edge of a deep ravine, the Gravina, in the heart of Basilicata, Matera is one of the most extraordinary cities in the world and one of the oldest continuously inhabited, with traces of human presence dating back to the Palaeolithic. Its historic centre is formed by the Sassi, two large districts, the Sasso Caveoso and the Sasso Barisano, separated by the rocky spur of the Civita: a maze of houses, churches, cellars, cisterns and lanes partly carved into the soft limestone rock, the "tufo", and partly built in front of the caves, one above the other, so that the roof of one house is often the street of the one above. For centuries, the inhabitants lived here with an ingenious system for collecting and channelling rainwater, recognised by UNESCO, which declared the Sassi a World Heritage Site in 1993.
In the mid-twentieth century, after the writer Carlo Levi had denounced the extreme poverty and unhealthy conditions in which the population lived, with families sharing their caves with animals, the Sassi were called a "national disgrace", and in the 1950s a special law ordered the evacuation of about 15,000 inhabitants to new districts. Abandoned for decades, the Sassi have been gradually restored and brought back to life, with hotels, restaurants, shops and museums, and in 2019 Matera was European Capital of Culture. Its timeless landscape has made it a favourite location for cinema, from "The Gospel According to St Matthew" by Pasolini to "The Passion of the Christ" by Mel Gibson and the James Bond film "No Time to Die".
Tip: see the Sassi at sunset and again at night, when the lights come on; wear comfortable shoes for the many steps.
Where it is
More things to see in Basilicata
Where to stay near Matera
Tours and activities nearby
Offers from GetYourGuide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.