3 DAYS IN MATERA, ITALY

Halfway between the region of Calabria and Puglia there is Basilicata. Its capital is Potenza, but its largest municipality by area and by name is Matera, also known as the “city of stones”. Located in the heart of ‘I Sassi’ – meaning ‘the stones’, are extraordinary cave dwellings, hewn into rock and stacked one on top of another.

This remarkable town, perched over a deep ravine, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993 and named the European Capital of Culture in 2019. In recent history, the town was evacuated in 1952, with the population relocated to modern housing, and the Sassi (“stones”) lay abandoned and undisturbed until the 1980s. A renewed vision and investment led to the cave dwellings becoming a noted historic tourism destination, with bijou hotels, small museums, spectacular restaurants – and a vibrant arts community.

So how beautiful is Matera? Very. It is so beautiful and inimitable that high-caliber directors, both Italian and international, have seen in this city a great scenography potential. With its extraordinary layout, dense with winding alleys, stairways and houses carved into the rock, arches and balconies, gardens and terraces, the Sassi di Matera have become the backdrop for major film productions such as King David, Passion of Christ and most recently the backdrop to several weeks of spectacular car chase scenes in the new James Bond movie “No Time to Die”.

Matera is believed to be one of the oldest communities in the world. Several of the Sassi have been transformed into bijou hotels, such as the Quarry Resort, a wonderful 5-star luxury hotel [www. quarryresort.it]. It was once the historical residence of Palazzo Zicari with the best terrace in the town, overlooking the Sasso Caveoso, perfectly located for sunsets. The original structure was made up of caves with one section dating back to 1500 A.D., a time in which places were built for noble families, the ruling class and the clergy.

2021 will certainly be the year to visit Matera before it gets too popular.

Make sure to book for a minimum of 2-nights, park your car, pack your walking shoes to stroll the labyrinthine streets and enjoy the spectacular restaurants andsunsets overlooking the Sassi.