Matera
Matera: a journey into the city of Sassi
Hello friends! Today I want to talk to you about Matera, a wonderful city that I love.
Physical geography
Matera is located in the region of Basilicata, bordering the metropolitan city of Bari and the province of Taranto. The city sits on a plateau and a natural depression delimited by the two historic districts, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso. The Gravina di Matera is a stream that runs through the depression and the San Giuliano Lake, which was created by a dam, is part of the San Giuliano regional reserve.
The Sassi of Matera
But the most famous characteristic of Matera are the Sassi. What are Sassi? They are an ancient aggregation of houses carved into the calcarenite, near a deep ravine, the Gravina. These ancient historic districts were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The Sassi of Matera are one of the few examples in the world of a city still inhabited carved into the rock.
History of Matera
The history of Matera is very ancient. Over the centuries, Matera has undergone many dominations and was part of the Province of Terra d'Otranto for centuries. In 1663, Matera became the capital of the then Province of Basilicata in the Kingdom of Naples. During this period, Matera experienced an important economic, commercial, and cultural growth. During World War II, Matera was the first city in the south to rise up in arms against Nazism and Fascism and was awarded the Valor Military Reward. Finally, in 2016, Matera was awarded the Gold Medal for Civil Valor.
European Capital of Culture
On October 17, 2014, together with the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, Matera was designated the European Capital of Culture for 2019. This recognition has brought a great increase in tourism to the city.
G20 of 2021
Moreover, in 2021, Matera was the seat of the G20 of Foreign Affairs Ministers and Development Ministers.
Conclusions
As you can see, Matera is a very fascinating city. Its Sassi are attracting more and more tourists, and the recognition as European Capital of Culture in 2019 has given it greater international visibility. See you next time, friends!
