(Italy – Apulia 2004, part 11 (Matera)
Although this trip’s title mentions the region of Apulia (or Puglia, as the Italians call it), I spent a few days away from this part of Italy and ventured into another region — Basilicata. This is where the city of Matera is located, along with its two districts known as the Sassi, which, together with the local rock-hewn churches, are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
To get from Bari, where I set off, to Matera, you can travel by car, local train, or intercity bus. Taking the train was the most convenient option for me. If anyone decides to take the same route, it is worth bearing in mind that, even though the line connects two important cities, Bari and Matera, what is advertised as a direct service may well require you to change trains at one of the intermediate stations — in other words, get off one train and board another. That is just how things work locally, and, of course, there are practical reasons for it.
The train travelled quite slowly. The distance is just under 70 km, yet the journey takes around two hours. But I wasn’t in any hurry, so that wasn’t a problem.
Moreover, I used this time to track down the mobile phone number of the owner of the restaurant in Melfi where I had eaten the previous evening — and where I had left my new jacket behind. He was extremely kind and accommodating, and we tried to figure out whether there was some way he could send the jacket to me (I suggested some kind of express courier service, which I would pay for). However, there were a couple of problems: the weekend was approaching, express delivery services don’t exactly operate at lightning speed in southern Italy and I was due to return to Belgrade in just a few days. In the end, I told him to give the jacket to someone, as it was practically brand new and thanked him for his kindness, since it was clear he had really tried to help.
I wasn’t too worried about the jacket. Although I liked it and was rather fond of it, I hadn’t paid much for it, so there was no point making a big deal out of it.
Meanwhile, I simply relaxed and watched the landscapes pass by. Yes, although I hadn’t travelled far, the scenery was still different from what I had seen over the previous few days.
In Matera, I had booked a room just a few minutes from the very centre, which was both very important to me and extremely convenient. By the time I reached my room, my back and right leg were already hurting quite badly, so I first took some time to rest. Although I had brought some medication with me that could help relieve the pain, it wasn’t strong enough. So, after taking a break to rest, I went to a nearby pharmacy and explained my problem to the woman working there. She more or less confirmed what I had already suspected, then gave me a somewhat stronger painkiller, which really helped.
Still, I had no intention of overdoing it with the medication (I’m very conservative and cautious when it comes to taking medicines, and I only use them when I have no other choice). After returning to Belgrade, I continued taking them for a few more days, but I also started doing some exercises that I know work really well for me, and the problem soon disappeared.
But let me get back to Matera with my story.
After stopping by the pharmacy, I headed towards the city centre and soon arrived at Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
This square is a must-see in Matera, among other things because it is home to a terrace that serves as a viewpoint. And what a viewpoint it is! It offers an extraordinary view of the city’s famous districts, particularly Sasso Barisano.
In addition, the square provides access to the largest underground cistern in the city, excavated into the rock in the 19th century and known as the Palombaro Lungo. It is now open to visitors, and although it sounded interesting based on what I had read, I knew I wouldn’t be able to see everything worth exploring in Matera. This cistern was one of the places that would have to wait until my next visit. On the other hand, one of the passageways leading to the Sassi is also located here, but I explored that the following day.
For the time being, I went upstairs to a restaurant on the upper floor of a building in the square, where I had an excellent view of Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
By the way, if anyone is wondering, after all that talk about my jacket, how come I’m wearing one in the photo, the answer is that it isn’t the one I left behind at the restaurant. The secret is that I bought two jackets in different colours. Perhaps that’s why I wasn’t too upset about having lost one of them in the meantime.
In any case, I hadn’t come to this restaurant to show off my jackets, but to have something to eat, and on this occasion that meant a wonderful pizza.
Pizza goes best with beer and beer is even better when it’s local. This one was even a large serving — 620 ml! Everything was just to my liking.
As I leisurely enjoyed my pizza and sipped my beer, with the day slowly drawing to a close, I had an excellent view of Matera and the square.
By the time I had finished eating, the night had already fallen and the moon was beginning to rise above the horizon.
I went down to the square, intending to return to the terrace with its lovely view of Sasso Barisano. By the way, the way to the terrace is through the arches on the right-hand side of the next photo, directly beneath the moon.
Right next to the passageway leading to the terrace stands the small Church of Mater Domini (Chiesa di Mater Domini), built in 1680.
By the time I reached the terrace and got into position to take a photo, the full moon had emerged from behind the clouds and the scene was magical.
I also took a photo of Matera Cathedral, which I intended to visit the following day.
Now, however, I very sensibly decided to take just one more walk around the square, then return to my room and give my body a chance to get some proper rest before the following day.
I slept reasonably well that night, so I set off to explore Matera in a reasonably good mood. Still, I needed to have some breakfast first, so I headed to a nearby market, where there are a couple of small restaurants serving simple but excellent food. I wasn’t disappointed.
I also took a little stroll around the market, just to see what was on offer, and then headed to Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
One of the most striking buildings in the square is Palazzo dell’Annunziata, built in 1735.
On the opposite side, tucked away in a corner of the irregularly shaped square, stands the Romanesque Church of Saint Dominic (Chiesa di San Domenico). It was built in 1230 as part of a monastery.
Now, in the daylight, I took a closer look at the 17th-century Baroque Church of Mater Domini once again.
What I found interesting here was that the bell tower does not actually belong to this church. Instead, it is a remnant of the Church of the Holy Spirit (Santo Spirito), which was carved into the rock one level below, underground. The external staircase leading up to the bell tower’s loggia can also be clearly seen in the previous photo.
However, there is no need for visitors to climb the bell tower, as there is an arcade right next to it that leads out onto the terrace, where they can enjoy a wonderful view of Matera’s old town.
I have already mentioned that Matera is located in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. The city is famous for preserving an intact example of a cave settlement. From the outside, the houses visible in the previous photograph certainly date from the 20th century, but the construction methods and the way the terrain is used are essentially the same as those employed in late prehistoric times. After all, the earliest inhabited areas in this region date back to the Palaeolithic, or Old Stone Age. The earliest dwellings in the settlement were simple caves whose entrances were enclosed by walls, thus protecting their inhabitants from external influences, while later settlements beautifully illustrate significant stages in human history. It is important to note that the first dwellings were natural caves in which people lived, but over time, the inhabitants began to enlarge these caves and adapt them to their needs.
All of this will become clearer as I continue with the story and the photographs.
In any case, owing to the uniqueness of the place and its architecture, Matera has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name “The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera.”
This World Heritage Site encompasses a whole range of houses, churches, monasteries, and hermitages built into caves across the Murge plateau. The site covers an area of 1,016 hectares and includes more than a thousand dwellings, as well as a large number of workshops and shops. In other words, the first settlements date back to the Palaeolithic, while habitation continued uninterrupted right up to the present day — or, more precisely, until the mid-20th century. In the 1950s, the entire population of the Sassi was relocated. The official reason was to improve sanitary conditions and renovate the old districts. However, tourism was already beginning to take off across Italy, so I can’t help feeling that this was the main reason people started returning from the 1980s onwards, gradually restoring the traditional use and function of the buildings. Today, tourism is the main activity here, while the number of visitors continues to grow. Admittedly, there are seasonal fluctuations, but Matera is nevertheless considered one of the must-see destinations in (southern) Italy.
In September 2024, I was one of those visitors. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I have already mentioned the term “Sasso,” or “Sassi” in the plural. Although “sasso” means “stone,” which is why the expression “Sassi di Matera” (the Stones of Matera) is also often used, the city actually has two historic districts: Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso. In addition to these, there is the Cività district, which includes the cathedral and was the original urban settlement. In the previous photograph, behind me, you can see parts of Sasso Barisano and Cività.
My sightseeing plan took me through Sasso Barisano first, and the easiest way to get there was to descend one level from Piazza Vittorio Veneto. From there, you can visit the previously mentioned Palombaro Lungo cistern, as well as walk through the remains of the also previously mentioned Church of the Holy Spirit, or Santo Spirito.
As for the water cistern, it is worth explaining that the municipality of Matera supplied drinking water to the population through several public fountains and five large public cisterns that collected spring water. In addition, there were hundreds of private cisterns used to collect rainwater for other purposes besides drinking.
The Palombaro Lungo, which can be visited here, is the largest of these public cisterns. It was excavated into the rock during the 16th century and subsequently enlarged on several occasions, joining together several caves that had previously been used for other purposes. The cistern has a capacity of five million litres, it is 16 m deep and measures 50 m in length.
So, I didn’t visit the cistern (perhaps I should have), but instead headed towards the passageway through the remains of the Church of Santo Spirito.
The rock-hewn Church of Santo Spirito is believed to date back to the 8th or 9th century. This early church was remodelled in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, when it acquired a three-aisled layout. It was eventually abandoned, but was restored once again in the second half of the 17th century. In the second half of the 19th century, however, public health concerns led to the destruction of the church’s façade and one of its side aisles, while part of the structure was also walled up.
Today, visitors can pass through here to enter the Sasso Barisano district, while along the way they can see the modest remains of the former church.
Once you come out here, you’ll find a spot offering a lovely view of Matera’s historic districts. To begin with, you need to walk down a few steps to reach the streets where the occasional car passes through, although this is quite rare.
As soon as I entered this area, I began noticing all sorts of details, including one feature that reminded me of the latrines found in medieval castles. I don’t know what this was actually used for, but that was the association it brought to mind.
I walked a little further down and when I looked back, I could see the terrace at the level of Piazza Vittorio Veneto, where I had already been and which offers a wonderful view, as well as a smaller terrace reached by passing through the remains of the Church of Santo Spirito.
Almost immediately, I came across some kind of gallery, but I only took a quick look inside, mainly to get a better idea of what to expect here in terms of the “construction” of dwellings.
From the outside, everything looked both overcrowded and impressive.
Off to one side, I spotted a closed metal gate and two openings. Naturally, I had to go over and take a peek.
There was nothing spectacular to see, but I’m glad I peered inside.
Soon I reached the lower parts of Sasso Barisano, from where I could see Matera Cathedral, while the surrounding scenery remained picturesque.
At times, I simply took photos of the streets I was walking through, while in other places I stopped to examine the details. I found it particularly interesting to see how rainwater was channelled (I assume) towards the vertical downpipe visible in the next photograph.
But, various other details were just as picturesque.
Some of the houses here appear to be used as private residences, while others serve as hotels and guesthouses. There are also restaurants, bars and shops. Buildings used for these purposes tend to be more elaborately decorated, although this is not always the case.
By this point, I was already well along one of the main streets in Sasso Barisano, Via Fiorentini, where I soon stopped for a nice cup of coffee and a little rest.