Holidays in Matera
Holidays in Matera
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Matera is a unique holiday destination famous for its old town, known as the Sassi. It was until the 1960s a slum city and was described in Carlo Levi's classic account of life in southern Italy under fascism, Christ Stopped at Eboli. Malaria was prevalent and the Sassi became a symbol of the poverty of the south and it was declared to be 'Italy's shame'. As a result, the locals were rehoused in shining new apartment buildings and the old town was abandoned. Now with the aid of EU and UNESCO grants, it has sprung back to life and is home to bars, restaurants, hotels, B&B and surprisingly a number of high tech businesses. The Sassi are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the visit is really a memorable adventure; so pack your bags!
Worth to visit Beautiful is the old town of Matera, known as the Sassi, the stones, which is a fascinating troglodyte cave city on the steep slope of a ravine, La Gravina. It is the largest such settlement in the Mediterranean. Some homes are little more than simply caves with a front door while others are extremely elaborate. To watch the Sassi turn pink and orange in the final glows of the setting sun is an unforgettable experience.
The barren landscape that surrounds Matera has a biblical quality and has been used as the setting for ancient Jerusalem by a number of filmmakers. Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ was shot here. The Murgia plateau is dotted with cliffs, waterfalls, mysterious caves, and beautifully painted rock churches some of which date back to the sixth century.
Food & Wine The region as a whole has begun to open up to tourism and there are some excellent restaurants. The cooks in Basilicata put hot chili peppers in everything, as when malaria was a constant problem it was believed to cure it. The specialty of Matera is its ricotta forte, a piece of creamy fermented cheese with a strong smell. Among the local dishes to try is pane di Matera, bread made with semolina. Sausages figure high on the menu, as do lamb and game. The best-known sausage, the Lucana, has been made since Roman times and takes its name from Lucania, the other name for Basilicata. The great wine of the region is red. Aglianico del Vulture grows on the slopes of the extinct volcano Monte Vulture.
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