The history of Matera goes all the way back to the Stone Age when true "cave men" lived in recesses carved out of the soft volcanic rock. Those caves were continually inhabited for 10,000 years until the 1950's when the Italian government mandated their evacuation, considered the “shame of Italy” due to the poverty, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions. But today, the city has been rediscovered and rehabilitated. The maze of caves, terraces, and winding streets make it a truly magical place.
Several former cave dwellings have been turned into museums, demonstrating what peasant life was like before they were abandoned. At Casa Grotta del Caselnuovo, you can see the home as it looked when occupied by the family that lived there until 1958, including furniture and tools of the period.
In the early middle ages, Byzantine monks arrived in Matera, transforming some of the caves into churches. The Cripta di Sant’Andrea is one such chapel, later converted to a cellar for wine production. The deepest of its three chambers contains a medieval burial vault.
Chiesa di Santa Lucia alle Marve is another of Matera’s cave churches, this one an 8th c. convent. Frescoes adorn the walls, some over 1000 years old. The Madonna del Latte (c. 1270) shows Mary nursing Jesus, intentionally depicted in an anatomically inaccurate manner. In the niche next to it is St. Michael the Archangel (c. 1250).
Despite its name, San Pietro Caveoso is actually not one of Matera’s cave churches. Instead it was built in traditional fashion in 1218. A 17th c. renovation provided today’s facade and bell tower, while the elaborate interior decorations were added in 1706.
In the middle of town is a large rock promontory into which were carved a pair of churches: Madonna dell'Idris and San Giovanni in Monterrone. Now connected to one another, the truly cave-like interior incorporates Byzantine-style wall-paintings and medieval chapels.
Piazzetta Pascoli affords nice views over the town.
Among Matera’s more traditional churches is Chiesa di Santa Chiara, a pleasant little chapel along the main street of town. The nearby Chiesa del Purgatorio dates to 1747 with scary-looking carved skulls at the doorway and throughout the interior, intended to remind visitors of their mortality and the inevitability of facing God’s final judgment. Chiesa di Sant'Eligio dates to the 15th c. with beautiful decoration throughout.
Our hotel, Il Belvedere, had a terrace with one of the best views in town. One morning, the fog added an eerie atmosphere to the already otherworldly vista. We enjoyed breakfast here each morning.
Palombaro Lungo is a giant cistern carved out of the rock under the main square. Dating to the 16th c., it was still supplying water to Materans within living memory. Holes in the ceiling are where buckets were lowered from the town square. Above the massive cavity are more carved-out spaces with religious frescoes, presumably the remnants of yet another cave church.
We passed San Domenico (which wasn’t open) en route to San Giovanni Battista, which was hosting a wedding, so we stopped back later in the day to view this atmospheric 13th c. church.
Chiesa di San Pietro Barisano is another of Matera's rock churches. Dating to the 12th c., it overlays a honeycomb of niches where corpses were placed, not unlike the catacombs of Rome. At the entrance level are 15th c. frescoes.
Chiesa di Madonna delle Virtù and Chiesa di San Nicola del Greci form a monastic complex built on two levels carved out of the tufa. The lower church, Madonna delle Virtù, dates to the 10th c. and is often used for art installations, which on this occasion involved a collection of ceramic murals from the 1730s. Above it, the simple Chiesa di San Nicola del Greci is rich in 12th - 14th c. frescoes.
The Convento di Sant’Agostino wasn’t open but its dramatic clifftop location commands attention. It was founded in 1591 and rebuilt in 1750 following an earthquake. It hovers above the restaurant where we enjoyed dinner one evening.
Chiesa di San Biagio began its life as a rock church. It was replaced with a new building in 1642 when it was determined that the cave church was too damp. At the same time, its crypt was deconsecrated and became a cave dwelling. Today it is a museum with furnishings and implements similar to those used by the final residents.
The town’s Duomo stands at the top of town, it’s belltower defining the highest point in Matera. This 13th c. Romanesque cathedral boats an elaborate neo-Baroque interior with 17th c. frescoes, a 13th c. Byzantine Madonna, and a delightful nativity scene that occupies most of the north transept.
The video ends with scenes of nightfall in Matera, followed by a series of still photos.
3 окт 2024
