the city of matera is the urban centre that more than any other exemplifies the stratification of a human settlement through the ages. in the year 580 ac it was conquered by the longobards and from 940 to 994 it was under the rule of ottone i; shortly after that matera was invaded by the greeks and then it was completely destroyed by the saracens. in 1042 the normans conquered the area and later the swabians occupied it. in 1498 matera became the fief of count tramontano who was assassinated by the people in 1514. from 1500 to 1633 matera belonged to "terra d'otranto" of puglia. in 1806 potenza took matera's place as the capital of basilicata. since 1927 matera has been the county town of the province that hears its name.
today the "sassi" form a large urban complex that has become world famous as the symbol of a "peasant culture" image and testimonial of the mediterranean civilisation which reflects the ancient origin of man.
the communities of the province of matera are linked in such a way as to permit the visitor to travel in a short time from the wooded mountains, to the kilts of eroded clay, the only landscape in italy that can be compared to the valley of goreme in cappadocia in turkey; and then to reach the beaches of the ionic coast, having visited the historical villages on the way. each of these villages still preserves its folk-traditions, its rituals and religious festivals, which are so significant in their uniqueness and which help us to understand the culture, history and natural environment of basilicata and the region.
for centuries matera was the focal point of the spheres of influence of two cultures: the west and the east. the rock churches go back to different monastic eras beginning with the greek period that preceded the byzantine period. between the 8th and the 13th century, latin and greek communities settled in great numbers in the ravines bringing about a singular fusion of the their respective values. however, not all rock churches belong to the monastic period; some were escavated before this phenomenon and still others afterwards, so that we have a continuous documentations from the 6th to the 13th century.
