For a genuine glimpse into life in these dwellings, a visit to the Casalnuovo House Cave is recommended.
Matera also boasts a rich Christian heritage with numerous buildings and churches carved from the region’s calcarenite rock. Among these is the Crypt of the Original Sin, a cave adorned with ancient Biblical frescoes, often referred to as “the Sistine Chapel of rock churches”.
Outdoor markets are a common sight in Matera, offering homemade goods including fresh fruits and vegetables near Piazza V Veneto. Traditional restaurants serve local delicacies, such as the city’s signature bread made from Basilicata durum wheat, featured in the famous cialledda salad.
Today, Matera is one of the fastest-growing business hubs in southern Italy.
Murgia Materana Park, situated just outside the cliff town, is famed for its ravines, caves, rock churches and nature. Established in 1990, it’s said to showcase the ancient bond between man and nature in southern Italy.
Spanning a whopping 7,000 hectares – or 27 square miles – the park is home to 1,200 botanical species as well as porcupines, wild boar, wild cats, lanner falcons, egyptian vultures and the Lesser Kestrel, which is the park’s emblem.
Over 150 rock churches are scattered throughout the park, including San Leonardo, San Giacomo and Cappuccino vecchio. Most were constructed during the early Middle Ages, at the crossroads of Greek Byzantine culture and the Latin world.
Besides serving as places of worship, they also doubled up as homes and animal shelters when needed.
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Publish date : 2024-06-12 08:26:00
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