In an Italian city, inhabitants still reside in cave dwellings that are over 9,000 years old. The unique homes are available for visitors to experience firsthand.

The Sassi cave dwellings in Matera are a breathtaking sight, appearing to defy gravity with their cascading structure. The city itself is a place where time seems to stand still, boasting a history of at least 9000 years as the third-oldest continually inhabited settlement in the world, after Aleppo and Jericho.

However, the last 70 years have seen a dramatic transformation for Matera, which was once declared the “shame of Italy” by the prime minister due to its poverty. This led to the eviction of 15,000 residents from the caves that had been their homes for generations.

Today, Matera has been re𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧, with its caves now filled with restaurants, bars, hotels and souvenir stores, making it a popular destination for tourists. The city has even caught the attention of Hollywood and will be featured as Europe’s Capital of Culture in 2019.

Matera has become a popular choice for filmmakers looking for a city that resembles the Biblical era. However, what sets Matera apart for tourists is the cave regions, known as sassi in Italian, which run along the ravine.

The modern city is barely visible from this higher elevation. Thousands of caves have been carved into the hard stone, climbing up the slopes of the ravine in such a way that one cave’s ceiling is often another cave’s floor. While the stone-brick facades provide a glimpse of civilization, exploring the narrow lanes that weave through the caves will inevitably require walking on the roofs of homes. You’ll see chimneys popping out of the cobblestones, creating a scene reminiscent of a raw, landlocked version of Santorini.

Over 2000 individuals are residing within the caves, typically renting them from the government, which possesses approximately 70% of the sassi. The most enjoyable walks in this area are the unplanned ones, weaving through alleys and lanes, while exploring the dwellings and 155 cave churches of Matera, the majority of which were constructed in the 11th and 12th centuries and are no longer consecrated. It feels as though there are almost as many panoramic vistas as churches in the sassi, with “belvederes” present on every side, offering a view of the deep ravine and the stone houses on the slopes.

This is why filmmakers choose Matera as the perfect stand-in for cities from ancient times. In the 1960s, Pier Paolo Pasolini filmed The Gospel According to St Matthew in this desolate city; Mel Gibson utilized the location for his film, The Passion of the Christ, in 2004. In 2015, Matera served as the setting for the new Ben Hur movie, and Gibson will return in 2017 with a sequel to The Passion.

Matera is an Italian city that has preserved its limestone cave dwellings dug in the hillside, giving it a unique and timeless appeal. The city’s reputation has come a long way since Carlo Levi’s 1945 book, “Christ Stopped at Eboli,” which likened the sassi to Dante’s Inferno.

Today, more than 2000 people live among the caves, usually renting them from the government, which owns 70% of the sassi. Matera’s historic center, known as Il Piano, is situated at the top of the sassi and is home to several mansions and palaces built by wealthy residents during the Renaissance. The center also boasts several boutique stores and Matera’s cathedral.

In southern Italy lies Matera’s Sassi limestone cave dwellings, which have recently seen the reopening of the cathedral after a 12-year period of restoration. The Renaissance-style exterior of the cathedral contrasts heavily with its baroque interior that seems overly ornate when compared to the muted tones of the sassi.

Despite the restorations, remnants of Matera’s past can still be found throughout the area. Divided into two sections, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso, most of the restoration efforts have been focused on Barisano, leaving the caves of Caveoso empty, almost as if they were lifeless skulls staring out at the world.

Casa Noha is a must-visit spot near the cathedral for learning about the history of Matera through an engaging 20-minute video. Also nearby, Casa Grotta offers a unique experience by showcasing a cave decorated in the style of olden times, located under the striking Madonna de Idris rock formation.

In the past, a maximum of 11 individuals dwelt inside a cave along with their domesticated animals to keep warm. Sanitation facilities were non-existent and the town lacked a water source. To overcome this issue, an innovative network of channels and reservoirs for rainwater was constructed underneath homes.

Interestingly enough, it was this particular system and not the city’s historical or architectural significance that led to Matera being recognized as a part of UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1993. Sleeping arrangements involved raised beds to avoid dampness from the cisterns, while babies and toddlers often slept in drawers pulled out for the night. Unfortunately, the mortality rate for 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren under five years of age was at an alarming 50 percent. Upon leaving Casa Grotta and stepping into modern-day Matera, it’s difficult to imagine the city’s past hardships as it has now transformed into a trendy and chic destination.

Source: zingnews