perched on the edge of a deep ravine, this town consists of the bustling upper district and the silent lower sassi (cave) district, divided into the sasso barisiano and the more picturesque sasso caveoso.
the people of matera once lived here in dwellings scooped out of the rock.
the two parts are odd neighbours, making matera one of the most fascinating cities in southern italy.
for the best overview, walk along the strada panoramica dei sassi and look down into the caves.
from the 8th to the 13th centuries, such caves probably provided refuge for monks from eastern anatolia.
many chapels, which were gouged out of the rock, were taken over in the 15th century by peasants.
subsequently, a cave-dwelling matera evolved and by the 18th century some buildings fronting the caves had become fairly grand mansions and convents.
by the 1950s and 60s the sassi were overtaken by squalor and poverty, and the inhabitants were forcibly rehoused.
carlo levi (1912-75) drew attention to their miserable living conditions in his book christ stopped at eboli, comparing sassi districts with dante's inferno.
today the warren of streets and steps amid the mostly empty sassi are silent.
sights at a glance:
· church of santa maria di idris
· church of santa lucia alle malve;
· museo nazionale ridola;
· duomo;
· churches of san domenico and san giovanni battista.

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