Are you traveling to Basilicata and wondering what to see and do in Matera? I'll help you! Follow me and let me take you on this trip around Matera in Italy. Before we begin our virtual tour through Matera and its surroundings, it is necessary to make an introduction about this unique city! Where is Matera in Italy? Matera is located in Basilicata, specifically on the border between Basilicata and Puglia. It is furrowed by the Bradano River, which, in the late 1950s, was dammed up. This led to the formation of an artificial lake, called Lake San Giuliano, which is part of the San Giuliano nature reserve. Visiting the Sassi di Matera Matera is known worldwide as the "city of the Sassi", but... What are the Sassi di Matera? They consist of ancient dwellings carved into the tuff and dating back to prehistoric times - a jewel that has come intact to this day! It is therefore easy to understand what a spectacular place it can be, where walking around the town is like visiting an open-air museum. The origins of Matera are indeed very ancient, as evidenced by the discovery of several nomadic settlements as far back as the Palaeolithic age. In the Neolithic period, settlements became more stable, so much so that there are clear traces of several villages dating back to that period. With the Metal Age, the first urban nucleus was created, that of today's Civita, probably of Greek origin. Today, the Sassi of Matera are recognised as a UNESCO heritage site, yet it was not always so... There was a time, before the 1950s, when the city was referred to as a "national disgrace", due to the disastrous situation in which the town was plunged. The population lived in very poor conditions.
Are you traveling to Basilicata and wondering what to see and do in Matera? I’ll help you! Follow me and let me take you on