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Matera is one of the most ancient towns in the world because of the continual presence of mankind documented from the
beginning of the IV millennium B.C. (Neolitico 3900-2900 B.C.) to the present. From the many belle piazze di Matera one can
see the extraordinary panorama of the Sassi and the Murgia high plateau, the latter situated beyond a gaping ravine. 90% of
the terrain is mountainous & hilly made of calcareous rock.
Houses fold into each other and the roof of one becomes
the floor of another or a neighborhood sidewalk. Benedictine monks came here starting in the 600 A.D. to seek refuge from
religious persecution. Today throughout Matera and its countryside there are more than 130 rock-hewn churches. Many of the
hermitages dating back to the 1200s when the religious atmosphere ammegliorated. After the monks abandoned their cavernous
homes, the peasant, indiginous people of the countryside occupied the caves until the early '50s when the prime minister of
Italy at the time, DeGasperi, moved them into brand new apartment buildings (designed by top Italian architects). The Sassi,
for the most part, remained abandoned until the early '90s when UNESCO took an interest and claimed them a World Heritage
Site. Today the Sassi are 60% occupied. Several laws passed since 1986 help underwrite the restoration process.
Matera
è una città di 57.000 abitanti (circa 20.000 abitano al centro storico e nella zona dei Sassi). Si trova a 480 km da Roma
e 270km da Napoli, soltanto 100km da Potenza e 65km da Bari (in Puglia). Se volete arrivare qui sarà molto più facile prendere
l'aereo da Roma per Bari e poi c'è il treno privato (chiamato F.A.L.) che arriva direttamente a Matera.
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| case ancora da ristrutturare |
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| le grotte |
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Matera & Puglia - 2 articles from the Washington Post!
Back to Basilicata FROM MAY 2006 of Travel and Leisure Magazine
Basilicata, Rock Hard And Still Untamed...New York Times
Matera, the city of the Stones, sassiweb.it (written in both inglese e italiano!)
THE PASSION OF MATERA
Once Upon a Time in Italy from BudgetTravel.com
Discover Italy.net > Regions > Welcome to Basilicata!
Bed & Breakfast in Matera
Dipinto di Blues - my favorite R&B band in Matera
Sandra Langston - an American artist & friend of mine living in Basilicata since 1982!
WOMEN'S FICTION FESTIVAL held every year in Matera!
sassi di notte Created by Francesco Annunziata | Matera Basilicata Italy
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