A very ancient movie set or a very large Nativity scene?

I promised to tell you about Matera, one of the lesser known jewels of Southern Italy. It is a place that will definitely leave you agape. Matera is the third oldest city in the world, after Aleppo, Syria and Jericho in Palestine. It has been inhabited for over 10,000 years. Although it is not on or near the sea, whale bones dating back millions of years have been found there.

Very ancient homes of the early inhabitants

But Matera has a recent history as well, one quite tragic, and later, one more endearing. This part of Southern Italy, the region of Basilicata, had always been the poorest of all. Matera, in particular, in the 1950s was called the Shame of Italy. People were living in caves, without running water, heat or electricity. Some, slightly better off, had made their own abodes into the mountain rock. Not surprisingly, Matera is a sister city of Petra.

Ancient Matera

There are 130 rock churches in Matera, all along the canyon

Both the poorest of all, and those less so, co-habited with their animals (sheep, donkeys, pigs, chickens, rabbits, cows, goats) for warmth. Usually the animals had their own room.

Original setting of the interior of a "Sasso". Of course, it would not have been as lit (candlelight). To the right is the bed. Further to the right is another room with the animals and another small bed.

Living conditions were atrocious, disease was rampant, and children suffered from malnutrition. In 1955, the government, following a presidential visit to the city, outlawed such living conditions and had the entire city evacuated, building a new one around it to house the evacuees.

The rock houses that made up the old city of Matera were called the Sassi - Italian for Stones. The Sassi were separated into two parts; Sasso Barisano where the houses were built out of the rock, and Sasso Caveoso, where the houses were actually caved into the rock itself. Both Sassi were built on the side of a deep canyon, which makes the setting even more dramatic.

The next few pictures are of Sasso Caveoso

And now we take you to Sasso Barisano

Today, the Sassi di Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tourists have started to flock here from the world over, thanks in part to the multitude of movies that have been filmed here. Mel Gibson’s The Passion, for example, was filmed in Sasso Caveoso in its entirety, but also others, like Ben Hur, Wonder Woman, Christ stopped at Eboli, and many others. This “rebirth” has made the town one of the most affluent in the south. Quite a reversal of fortune. This is truly a sight to behold.

Nativity scene sculpted out of the rock in the church

Ceiling of Matera's cathedral

In the evening we took the long drive to the southern part of another region, Puglia (the spur of the boot), an area called Salento, and more specifically the city of Lecce. We had a wonderful evening stroll through its historic center, before retiring to our B&B, which used to be a convent, right in the center of the medieval heart of town.

One of three portals to the city of Lecce

The Duomo of Lecce

Facade of the Duomo

Just one of the many ornate altars in the Duomo

Passeggiata around Lecce

I hope you still appreciate tagging along with us. I’m running a day behind with my posts. These take a long time, and with all the activity, sometimes it becomes a burden, albeit a pleasant one, Ciao.