{"id":2487,"date":"2014-10-31T18:03:11","date_gmt":"2014-10-31T17:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.crossingitaly.net\/travel\/?p=2487"},"modified":"2014-10-31T18:20:14","modified_gmt":"2014-10-31T17:20:14","slug":"basilicata-ancient-churches-astonishing-landscapes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crossingitaly.net\/travel\/2487\/basilicata-ancient-churches-astonishing-landscapes\/","title":{"rendered":"Basilicata: ancient churches and astonishing landscapes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"sassi\"<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

“<\/span>… When I left the<\/span> station<\/span> […<\/span> ]The city<\/span> was not there.<\/span> I was<\/span> on a sort of<\/span> desert plateau<\/span> …<\/span> This<\/span> desert<\/span> rose<\/span>, scattered here<\/span> and there,<\/span> eight or ten<\/span> grand palaces of<\/span> marble<\/span> … I<\/span> finally<\/span> began<\/span> to look for the<\/span> city<\/span> …<\/span> I came to<\/span> a road that<\/span> has only one side<\/span> lined with some old houses<\/span>, and<\/span> the other<\/span> ran along<\/span> a cliff.<\/span> At the<\/span> precipice<\/span> is<\/span> Matera<\/span> […]<\/span> These<\/span> inverted cones<\/span>, these<\/span> funnels<\/span>, are called<\/span> Sassi<\/span>. They have<\/span> the form in which<\/span>, at school, you picture Dante’s Inferno<\/span> landscape…<\/span> “<\/span>. [Carlo Levi]<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

So the great\u00c2\u00a0 Italian writer<\/span> Carlo Levi<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0 describes<\/span> Matera<\/span><\/strong><\/a> in its memoir<\/span> “Christ stopped at Eboli” giving an account of his exile from 1935-1936<\/span><\/span>. Today the city\u00c2\u00a0 has been freshly nominated as European Capital of Culture for 2019\u00c2\u00a0 together with Plovdiv in Bulgaria, exactly on 17th October 2014. In response<\/span> to centuries of<\/span> poverty<\/span> and isolation,<\/span> Matera<\/span> has become<\/span> a vibrant<\/span> and\u00c2\u00a0 friendly, with<\/span> a culture<\/span> that thrives on<\/span> contemporary events<\/span> and history. And the world knows it.
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The city is <\/span>the capital of the<\/span> province<\/span>, the second city of Basilicata<\/span> with<\/span> less than<\/span> 60,000 inhabitants<\/span>.<\/span> The old, splendid core<\/span> of the city<\/span> is developed<\/span> on the bank<\/span> of the<\/span> ravine<\/span> that<\/span> bisects the<\/span> valley<\/span>, known as the Gravina di<\/span> <\/strong>Matera<\/strong>.<\/span> An amazing<\/span> complex<\/span> of caves and<\/span> natural cavities<\/span><\/span> dug by men’s hands<\/span>, small and interdependent<\/span> buildings<\/span> leaning against each<\/span> other<\/span>, made \u00e2\u20ac\u2039\u00e2\u20ac\u2039of the same<\/span> limestone<\/span> that forms the<\/span> mountains,<\/span> it<\/span> provides for\u00c2\u00a0<\/span> the eyes of the<\/span> traveller,<\/span> overlooking<\/span> the square of the<\/span> cathedral<\/span>, an\u00c2\u00a0 astonishing horizon<\/span>.<\/span> On the opposite side<\/span> you can see<\/span> in the mountain<\/span> several<\/span> other caves<\/span> that<\/span> were inhabited<\/span> by solitary hermits<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Matera indeed will strike your imagination.\u00c2\u00a0 Thanks to its the ancient and primitive scenery given by the Sassi, many famous filmmakers came and use the scenario to showcast ancient Jerusalem. Among the others, in 1964 Pier Paolo Pasolini got inspiration for one of its masterpieces, “Il Vangelo secondo Matteo” (The Gospel According to St. Matthew<\/i> ) a great spiritual movie. The same happened years later with Mel Gibson and its “The passion of Christ” of 2004.
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Starting<\/span> from its periphery<\/span>, characterized by<\/span> surfaces<\/span> gullies,<\/span> Matera is<\/span> different from any<\/span> other Italian city.<\/span> TIts<\/span> parts<\/span> belongs to<\/span> different eras: the<\/span> oldest is composed by <\/span>the famous “Sassi<\/span>” that<\/span> the spur<\/span> of the Civita<\/span> join<\/span> with the Cathedral<\/span>; the<\/span> medieval<\/span>-Renaissance extends along<\/span> “the Plan”<\/span> on the edge<\/span> of the Sassis<\/span>; and<\/span> finally<\/span>, it comes the new city, with<\/span> elegant<\/span> districts<\/span> created by the most<\/span> famous Italian architects<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Churces<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A tour<\/span> through the narrow streets<\/span> leads<\/span> to the<\/span> first of<\/span> many beautiful<\/span> churches,<\/span> many of which are<\/span> underground<\/span>. Dominating is\u00c2\u00a0 the town<\/span>‘s Cathedral, a fine example of<\/span> Romanesque<\/span>, with<\/span> a<\/span> rose window<\/span> on the facade<\/span> of local stone<\/span>. Continuing<\/span> you can<\/span> see the Church of<\/span> San Pietro Caveoso<\/span> of the twelfth<\/span> century, built<\/span> overlooking<\/span> the<\/span> rock<\/span> of the same name<\/span>, while the stone<\/span> opposite<\/span> are<\/span> St. Peter<\/span> Barisan<\/span> which<\/span> originally dates<\/span> back to the XI<\/span> century and is<\/span> largely<\/span> carved out of the<\/span> mountain,<\/span> and St. Augustine<\/span> of the late sixteenth<\/span> century<\/span>, built on a rocky crypt<\/span> of the twelfth<\/span> century.N<\/span>early 130<\/span> churches<\/span> are located in Matera, many presenting\u00c2\u00a0 frescoes<\/span>, altars and sculptures.<\/span> They are<\/span> partly<\/span> excavated<\/span> and partly<\/span> complemented by<\/span> walls<\/span> or<\/span> underground<\/span>. Most<\/span> of them<\/span> date back to the<\/span> greek<\/span> Byzantine<\/span> Monastic<\/span> civilizations<\/span> between the eighth<\/span> and thirteenth centuries<\/span>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Of great interest<\/span> the many<\/span> rock churches<\/span> that are along<\/span> the way;<\/span> some of them<\/span> are now home to<\/span> important exhibitions<\/span> of contemporary art,<\/span> especially in the summer<\/span>. The<\/span> opposite side<\/span> to the<\/span> village<\/span> offers<\/span> an equal<\/span> wealth<\/span> of<\/span> evidence<\/span> and the ability to<\/span> discover<\/span> a pleasant walk:<\/span> St. Nicholas<\/span> dell’Ofra<\/span>, Our Lady of Crosses,<\/span> the crypts<\/span> of Sant<\/span>‘<\/span>Eustachio, Our Lady of Monteverde<\/span>, Our Lady of the Angels<\/span>, the Madonna del Giglio<\/span>, Santa Barbara, and beautiful frescoes of St. Nicholas<\/span> of the Greeks.<\/span><\/span>
\nOther churches<\/span> dot the<\/span> inner fabric of the city<\/span>: St. John the Baptist<\/span>, of the thirteenth<\/span> century, as<\/span> St. Dominic<\/span> and<\/span> St. Francis of Assisi<\/span>, largely modified in the course<\/span> of the eighteenth<\/span> century, a period<\/span> which<\/span> also dates back to<\/span> the Church of Purgatory<\/span>. The small church<\/span> of<\/span> Mater<\/span> belonged to<\/span> the Knights<\/span> of Malta<\/span>, dating from the seventeenth century.<\/span> The complex<\/span> of Santa Chiara,<\/span> however, dates back<\/span> to the sixteenth<\/span> century but was<\/span> extensively renovated<\/span> two centuries later<\/span>. The unhappy<\/span> story<\/span> of Conte\u00c2\u00a0<\/span> Tramontano<\/span> also binds to<\/span> one of the castle<\/span> that<\/span> he<\/span> decided to build<\/span> during<\/span> his rule<\/span>, and which remained<\/span> unfinished.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

From the Sassi<\/span> to the<\/span> rich natural surroundings<\/span> and history,<\/span> all<\/span> in Matera<\/span> speaks<\/span> the language of emotions<\/span> and culture<\/span> who welcome<\/span> and<\/span> enchant the visitor<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
\nMatera is<\/span> rich in<\/span> ancient<\/span> culinary traditions<\/span> linked<\/span> to the history and<\/span> local culture<\/span>. In a<\/span> visit to Matera<\/span> you cannot miss<\/span> the tasting of<\/span> local products<\/span>. Besides the<\/span> famous<\/span> Matera<\/span> bread<\/span> and wine<\/span>, the city offers simple food<\/span>,\u00c2\u00a0 good to<\/span> enjoy<\/span> in every season.<\/span> The advice is to<\/span> not<\/span> lose<\/span> the goodness of<\/span> ingredients like<\/span> extra virgin olive oil<\/span>, mozzarella,<\/span> cheese,<\/span> sheep’s milk cheese<\/span>. Even<\/span> legumes <\/span>are<\/span> the pride of<\/span> the cousine in<\/span> Matera.<\/span>
\nThe dish<\/span> is perhaps<\/span> the<\/span> best known<\/span> is the Pignata<\/strong>,<\/span> featuring meat<\/span> sheep<\/span> cooked in<\/span> a clay pot<\/span> with<\/span> herbs<\/span> and<\/span> vegetables.<\/span> Equally<\/span> famous is the<\/span> Cutturiddu<\/span><\/strong>, mutton<\/span> cooked in a pan<\/span> with tomatoes, peppers<\/span>, potatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil<\/span> and<\/span> a pinch of salt<\/span>. The <\/span>red fedda<\/span><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 is<\/span> rather<\/span> a slice of<\/span> grilled<\/span> bread<\/span> with olive oil and<\/span> salt.<\/span> All<\/span> these dishes<\/span> match<\/span> very well<\/span> with the red wine<\/span> DOC<\/span> Matera<\/span>, with its fruity aroma and<\/span> harmonious,\u00c2\u00a0 round taste<\/span>. <\/span><\/span>Lastly, go and visit Maratea, <\/a>a precious locaion embedded in the lovely Gulf of Policastro<\/b>, is also the location of the behemoth\u00c2\u00a0Christ the<\/b>\u00c2\u00a0Redeemer Statue (Cristo Redentore)<\/b>\u00c2\u00a0that rises\u00c2\u00a0from\u00c2\u00a0Mount San Biagio.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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