Hidden within the limestone cliffs of southern Italy lies Matera, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Known for its ancient cave dwellings—Sassi di Matera—the city is a testament to human resilience, adaptation, and architectural innovation spanning over 9,000 years.
Often described as a place where time holds its breath, Matera embodies both the raw simplicity of prehistoric life and the layered complexity of modern preservation.
The Sassi, meaning “stones,” are a network of houses, chapels, cisterns, and alleyways carved directly into the rock face of Matera’s ravines. These troglodyte homes trace their origins back to the Paleolithic era.
What began as rudimentary shelters in natural caves evolved into sophisticated living quarters, complete with chimneys, stables, and community spaces. Over centuries, new layers of habitation were added, blending seamlessly into the terrain. Above ground, dwellings appear traditional. Below, they extend into labyrinthine hollows.
Matera’s cave dwellings reflect a form of continuity rarely seen in urban history. During the Middle Ages, religious communities expanded the cave network, building monasteries and churches within the rock. Frescoes painted inside these stone sanctuaries still survive, revealing influences from Byzantine to Gothic styles.
In later centuries, Matera became known as "the shame of Italy" due to widespread poverty and disease in the caves. By the 1950s, the government forcibly relocated residents to modern housing. For decades, the Sassi were abandoned—viewed as relics of a backward past.
What was once seen as a mark of underdevelopment is now regarded as cultural gold. In 1993, UNESCO designated the Sassi a World Heritage Site, recognizing their significance as an outstanding example of human settlement and land use over time.
Restoration efforts in the 1990s and early 2000s transformed the narrative. The dwellings were stabilized, restored, and in many cases repurposed into hotels, galleries, and community spaces. Matera was named the European Capital of Culture in 2019, marking its full cultural reintegration.
Matera sits at the intersection of modernity and memory. It is a city that does not hide its scars. Instead, it displays them with dignity. The worn stone steps, crumbling facades, and dim cave interiors serve as reminders of a world built from necessity, not excess.
In an era of hyper-urbanization, Matera offers a counterpoint: a city that did not grow upwards, but inwards—into the earth, into the rock, into history itself.
Modern visitors to Matera can walk through the Sassi districts of Barisano and Caveoso, where centuries of architecture coexist. Guided tours explore rock-hewn churches, ancient cistern systems, and even reconstructed cave homes preserved as museums.
Accommodation in restored caves offers a unique sensory experience—quiet, cool, and tactile—rooted in the very history being explored. Spring and early autumn are the best seasons to visit, with milder weather enhancing the walking experience through narrow alleys and steep stairways.
Matera is not a city built on stone—it is a city built within stone. Its ancient cave dwellings are living archives of human survival, spiritual devotion, and cultural rebirth carved into the face of time.
Matera is in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, near the border of Puglia.
They are ancient cave dwellings carved into limestone cliffs, forming two main districts: Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso.
They represent one of the oldest continuous human settlements in the world, with dwellings dating back to the Stone Age.
Yes, many of the caves have been restored and converted into boutique hotels, offering an immersive historical experience.