Matera

The city of Matera, today the capital of the province of the same name in Basilicata, was, up to the middle of the seventeenth century, part of the ancient administrative area of the Terra d’Otranto (a historical and geographical region located near the channel of the same name). Later, it became the capital of the Giustizierato di Basilicata (1663-1806), one of the provinces in which the Kingdom of Naples was divided. In Matera, you can see a variety of artistic works of the Baroque era: the churches of San Francesco d’Assisi and of the Purgatorio are worth a visit. Matera is also famous for its Sassi: the fascinating natural and artificial caves carved into rock, which form the oldest part of the city. These cavities have been inhabited since time immemorial, whose eviction for hygienic and sanitary reasons only began in 1952. During the twentieth century, before being included in the group of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Sassi were the backdrop of some famous films, most recently the controversial Mel Gibson film dedicated to the Passion of Christ. (photo: The Feast of the Madonna della Bruna in Matera).