Matera Exploration
Matera, European Capital of Culture for 2019
Matera is a city and a province in the region of Basilicata, in southern Italy. The town lies in a small canyon, which has been eroded in the course of years by a small stream, the Gravina.
Matera is well known for its historical center called "Sassi", considered World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1993, along with the Park of the Rupestrian Churches.
On October 17, 2014, Matera was declared Italian host of European Capital of Culture for 2019.
The concern of this project is to transport you through the town, walking across the city streets, looking at the tipycal houses built in the stones and with the stones and finally getting to the beautiful sights with fantastic panoramic views to the old town.
Streets
Stones
Matera has gained international fame for its ancient town, the "Sassi di Matera" (meaning "stones of Matera"). The Sassi originate from a prehistoric (troglodyte) settlement, and are suspected to be some of the first human settlements in Italy. The Sassi are houses dug into the calcareous rock itself, which is characteristic of Basilicataand Apulia. Many of these "houses" are really only caverns, and the streets in some parts of the Sassi often are located on the rooftops of other houses.
Views
The city offers spectacular views of the "gravina" and the historical center, with incredible colours of sky and clouds.
