Worth seeing are the caves settlements “Sassi di Matera”, which lies in the steep cliff slopes of the cleft river valley of the Gravina. The oldest part of the town were explained in 1993 by the UNESCO to the world cultural heritage. It is the best surviving and most complete examples of rock-cut settlement in the Mediterranean region.

One could describe the ancient district of Matera, the Sassi, as one gigantic sculpture that has been carved out of the rock along the side of a ravine. In essence, it is an urban miracle, where it is possible to discern many different signs of the rich and long history of the town. The Sassi are built along the right bank of a ravine that presents itself as a labyrinth of winding streets, neighbourhoods, squares, caves, rock churches and cantinas that are sunken into the viscera of the earth.

The constructed churches of various periods are dispersed throughout the town, such as the Romanesque “Cattedrale” and the church of “San Giovanni” (Saint John). Great masters of cinema have set films in this penetrating and evocative atmosphere.

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