Matera

Ancient Roots and Foundation

Matera is rightfully considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Archaeological finds confirm that humans began settling in the natural caves of the soft rocks of the Gravina canyon as early as the Paleolithic era, long before the dawn of written history.

As an organized settlement with a name close to its modern one, the city took shape during the Roman period. It is believed to have been fortified by the Roman consul Lucius Caecilius Metellus in 251 BC and given the name Matheola.

Factors of Development

Several key factors determined the unique appearance and survival of the city over millennia:

• Geology and Landscape: The city grew on the slopes of a deep ravine. The soft limestone rock (tufa) allowed residents to easily hollow out dwellings, extending natural grottoes deep into the cliff. This is how the famous Sassi quarters were formed.
• Strategic Defense: Its location on the edge of a cliff made the city a natural fortress, protected from sudden raids by invaders.
• Water Management: In an arid climate, residents created a sophisticated system of channels and underground cisterns to collect every drop of rainwater, which became a marvel of early engineering.

Early Culture and Economy

The economic life of early Matera was closely tied to an agrarian lifestyle. Cave spaces were used universally: as homes for families, pens for livestock, and warehouses for storing harvests, creating a unique ecosystem of close interaction between man and nature.

The city's cultural layer was shaped by the influence of different civilizations:

• Proximity to the Greek colonies of Southern Italy (Magna Graecia) introduced Hellenic traditions.
• In the Early Middle Ages, the cliffs of Matera became a refuge for Byzantine monks, whose presence led to the creation of numerous cave churches decorated with ancient frescoes.

Chronology of Events

• 251 BC — Roman consul Lucius Caecilius Metellus fortifies the city and names it Matheola.
• 8th Century — Refugee monks from Byzantium settle in the caves, creating unique rock churches with frescoes.
• 1270 — Construction of the Matera Cathedral is completed in the characteristic Apulian Romanesque style.
• 1663 — The city becomes the capital of the Basilicata region, contributing to its economic and architectural flourishing.
• 1806 — Joseph Bonaparte moves the provincial capital to Potenza, leading to the gradual decline of Matera.
• 1945 — The publication of Carlo Levi's book "Christ Stopped at Eboli" draws public attention to the harsh living conditions in the caves.
• 1952 — The Italian government passes a law for the forced relocation of residents from the Sassi to new quarters due to unsanitary conditions.
• 1986 — A special law is passed allowing people to return to the Sassi and providing funding for the restoration of the historical center.
• 1993 — The Sassi di Matera districts are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list as an outstanding example of a cave settlement.
• 2004 — Mel Gibson films "The Passion of the Christ" in the city, bringing Matera worldwide tourism fame.
• 2019 — Matera officially holds the title of European Capital of Culture, hosting numerous international events.

Stages of Transformation: From Caves to Cultural Capital

The history of Matera is not just a sequence of dates, but a dramatic evolution of urban space and lifestyle. Several key milestones can be identified that fundamentally changed the face and destiny of the city.

• Formation of the Civita Core (13th Century)
  The construction of the Cathedral at the highest point of the cliff finalized the city's structure.
  Significance: The city became clearly divided into a fortified administrative and religious center (Civita), where the nobility lived, and two ravines (Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano), where artisans and peasants settled in caves.
• The Golden Age and Expansion onto the Plateau (1663–1806)
  During this period, Matera was the capital of the Basilicata province. The city began to expand beyond the canyon onto the plain (Piano).
  Significance: A boom in the construction of Baroque palaces, monasteries, and administrative buildings. Above-ground architecture emerged, contrasting with cave life and contributing to economic prosperity.
• Urban Crisis (19th – Early 20th Century)
  Rapid population growth and economic decline led to the overpopulation of the Sassi. Caves designed for a single family were occupied by several, and sanitary conditions became catastrophic.
  Significance: The city earned the stigma of being the "shame of Italy." This led to a social collapse, but it was precisely this crisis that later drew the attention of intellectuals and politicians to the problems of the South.
• The Great Relocation (1950s)
  Implementation of the law for the forced evacuation of residents from the caves to new neighborhoods.
  Significance: A large-scale urban planning experiment. Italy's best architects designed modern quarters (such as La Martella) for the displaced residents, attempting to preserve neighborhood ties in new conditions. The historical center became empty and frozen in time.
• Paradigm Shift and Revitalization (1986–1993)
  The passing of the law to preserve the Sassi and the city's inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The state began leasing caves for a nominal fee on the condition of their restoration.
  Significance: An economic pivot from the agricultural sector to tourism. Former slums began transforming into unique hotels, museums, and restaurants, while preserving the historical structure.
• Status as European Capital of Culture (2019)
  Matera won this title, beating out major Italian cities.
  Significance: The final victory over its past image. This event brought significant investment in infrastructure, technology, and cultural projects, making the city a magnet for the creative elite and tourists from all over the world.

Matera's architectural landscape is a unique dialogue between man and nature. Unlike most cities in the world that were built "upward," the historical core of Matera was created using a "subtraction" method: spaces were not erected but extracted from the soft tufa rock. This phenomenon, known as "negative architecture," exists here alongside magnificent examples of classical styles.

Cave Architecture and Spontaneous Urbanism

The oldest and most recognizable layer of the city consists of the Sassi districts (Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano). It is difficult to pinpoint a specific architectural style here in the traditional sense; it is rather an example of organic adaptation to the landscape.

• Features: House facades, built from the excavated stone, cover the entrances to deep caves. The roof of one house often serves as a street or courtyard for the house located above.
• Iconic Elements: The "vicinato" system — shared courtyards around which dwellings were grouped, fostering close social ties.

Apulian Romanesque (13th Century)

At the top of the Civita hill, which separates the two cave districts, stands a symbol of the city's medieval power. This period marked the transition from cave dwelling to structured urban planning.

• Style: Apulian Romanesque, characterized by austere forms, massiveness, and exquisite portal decorations.
• Iconic Building: Matera Cathedral (1270). Its facade is adorned with a large 16-ray rose window symbolizing the wheel of fortune, and its bell tower dominates the city's skyline.

Renaissance and Baroque (17th–18th Centuries)

When Matera became the capital of Basilicata, the city expanded beyond the canyons onto the plateau — the "Piano." Here, a "second city" took shape with wide squares and ornate facades, aiming to hide the poverty of the cave districts.

• Style: Local Baroque, influenced by the Neapolitan and Lecce schools. It is characterized by theatricality, the use of warm local stone, and rich stucco work.
• Iconic Buildings:
  • Palazzo Lanfranchi: A former seminary, now a museum, with an asymmetrical facade combining late Baroque features.
  • Church of the Purgatory (Chiesa del Purgatorio): An outstanding example of Baroque with a facade decorated with somber yet skillfully crafted skulls and skeletons, reminding viewers of the fleeting nature of life.
  • Piazza Vittorio Veneto: The elegant center of the "upper city," beneath which lie enormous underground cisterns.

Rationalism and Neorealism (20th Century)

Following the 1952 law on the evacuation of the Sassi, Matera became a laboratory for Italy's top architects. The new neighborhoods built for the displaced residents are considered important monuments of 20th-century urban planning.

• Style: Italian Rationalism and Neorealism. Architects sought to recreate the social structure of the "vicinato" in modern conditions, using simple forms and a functional approach.
• Iconic Neighborhood: La Martella. This village was designed by a group of architects led by Ludovico Quaroni as an ideal rural village, intended to preserve the peasant lifestyle of the former cave dwellers in healthier conditions.

Religion and History

• Saint John of Matera (San Giovanni da Matera) (c. 1070–1139)
  Monk and Saint of the Catholic Church.
  A native of the city who became a prominent spiritual figure of the Middle Ages. He is known as the founder of the monastic congregation of Pulsano (Order of Saint William). His life is an example of asceticism and devotion to faith, and his legacy is still revered in the region today.
• Giambattista Pentasuglia (1821–1880)
  Patriot and participant in the Risorgimento.
  He entered Italian history as the only native of Basilicata to participate in Giuseppe Garibaldi's legendary "Expedition of the Thousand." His bravery and contribution to the unification of Italy make him one of the city's primary national heroes.

Art and Literature

• Egidio Romualdo Duni (1708–1775)
  Composer.
  One of Matera's most celebrated sons, who achieved recognition at the royal courts of Europe. Duni is considered one of the founding fathers of the French comic opera genre. His musical career linked Italy and France, bringing international fame to his hometown.
• Tommaso Stigliani (1573–1651)
  Poet and Man of Letters.
  A prominent figure in Italian Baroque literature. Stigliani became famous not only for his poems but also as a literary critic who engaged in a famous polemic with the then-popular poet Giambattista Marino, defending the classical canons of poetry.
• Luigi Guerricchio (1932–1996)
  Artist.
  One of the region's most significant 20th-century painters, often called the "Guttuso of the South." In his expressive works, he captured the unique landscapes of the Sassi and the daily life of Matera's ordinary people, preserving the spirit of a passing era.

Influence on the City's Destiny

• Carlo Levi (1902–1975)
  Writer, Artist, and Physician.
  Although Levi was born in Turin, he became a key figure in Matera's modern history. His autobiographical novel "Christ Stopped at Eboli," written after his exile to this region, drew global attention to the plight of the cave dwelling residents. It was his work that sparked the process leading first to the evacuation of the Sassi, and later to their rebirth and recognition as a heritage of humanity.