Today it was off to Matera. This is a town known mainly for its “Sassi”, which are cave dwellings carved into the sides of cliffs. The town surrounds a deep canyon where the river created numerous grottoes in the rock. Science has shown that man first started to use these grottoes 9,000 years ago, as the river brought the necessary water while the canyon provided a natural defense against enemies and animals. As time went by, the side of the canyon grew into an actual town with roads, houses, and churches, all carved right into the rock. The facades of these caves sometimes use brick, but once you cross the threshold you’re inside the mountain. Over the last century though, overcrowding and hygiene became big problems. The average cave housed 6 or 7 kids and the area had no real sewage system (just a bucket with a lid in each cave).In the 1950’s, a prominent writer by the name of Carlo Levi, wrote a book about life in Matera, and it became a national scandal that people in Italy were still living in grottoes. The government was forced to step in and declared it illegal for people to continue living in this manner. They offered new apartments to anyone willing to abandon their Sassi, and subsequently moved 20,000 residents into new housing. Most people took the offer, but a few continued to live in the Sassi. The Fodor’s guide states that “Matera is the only place in the world where people can boast to still be living in the same house as their ancestors of 9,000 years ago.”
Today the area has become more tourism oriented as they try and restore some of the abandon dwellings. The area is especially popular with Hollywood, as several biblical movies have been recently shot here, including Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ. The area apparently closely resembles the look in and around Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.
This church sits inside the rock.
Here is a dwelling set up as it was in the 50's. Imagine a family of 7 or 8 running around in here. Even the family horse, pigs, and chickens are kept in the cave. And the only ventilation is the front door.
The hole in the bottom right of this photo leads down to the cistern where rain water is collected. As they need water they drop a bucket into the hole.
Here are some of the prehistoric caves that still exist in the area.
A look inside one of the churches.
