Why Matera Was Once Called Italy’s National Disgrace — and Then Changed Everything

Sharing is caring!

In 1950, the Italian Prime Minister stood up in parliament and called Matera “the shame of Italy.” He had just seen the sassi — the ancient cave dwellings carved into the ravine cliffs of Basilicata — and was horrified by what he found. Families living alongside their animals. Malaria rampant. Children dying in rooms with no light.

Within a decade, the government forced the entire population to leave. Nearly 15,000 people were moved out. Their homes were sealed and abandoned.

Nobody imagined that four decades later, the world would be queuing to get in.

The City Carved Into the Rock

Matera sits on the edge of a deep ravine in the toe of the Italian boot — a city that looks as though it has grown from the rock itself. The sassi, meaning “stones” in Italian, are two ancient districts of cave dwellings, churches, and narrow pathways hewn directly into the cliff face.

People have lived here for at least 9,000 years. That makes Matera one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements on the planet.

For most of that history, this was simply how life worked. Families carved rooms deeper into the rock as their numbers grew. They stored water in underground cisterns built over centuries. They slept alongside their animals in winter for warmth.

What the Government Saw — and Why It Acted

After World War Two, Italy was trying to modernise and shake off its rural past. Matera’s sassi became a symbol of everything that had held the south back.

Carlo Levi’s 1945 book Christ Stopped at Eboli had already brought the poverty of the region to national attention. When politicians and journalists arrived to see it for themselves, the conditions shocked them. Disease was common. Overcrowding was severe. Infant mortality was among the highest in Europe.

In 1952, a law was passed forcing the evacuation. Families were given new houses in the modern town built on the plateau above. The sassi were closed, and a ghost city was left hanging over the ravine for years.

Enjoying this? 29,000+ Italy lovers get stories like this every week. Subscribe free →

The Turnaround Nobody Predicted

For decades, Matera sat frozen. Empty cave dwellings. Silent streets. A strange, hauntingly beautiful ruin that most Italians tried not to think about.

Then a few things shifted. Artists and writers arrived. They saw not poverty, but a unique landscape untouched by the modern world. Studios opened. Caves were restored. Slowly, a reversal began.

In 1993, UNESCO declared the sassi a World Heritage Site — one of the first in all of southern Italy. The recognition changed everything. What had been a national embarrassment became a national treasure. Tourists followed. Hotels opened inside restored cave dwellings. The city that had been emptied was full again.

In 2019, Matera was named a European Capital of Culture. Events, exhibitions, and performances filled the sassi. The arc of the story — from forced evacuation to European capital in 67 years — is one of the most extraordinary reversals in modern Italian history.

Walking the Sassi Today

The two districts — Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano — are now a living neighbourhood again. Cave hotels, cave restaurants, cave wine bars. The streets are full of visitors, especially at golden hour when the stone glows amber.

But walk ten minutes from the main tourist trail and you find silence. Unrestored dwellings with carved ceilings. Rock churches with faded Byzantine frescoes. Paths that wind down into the ravine and seem to lead to another era entirely.

Standing on the Murgia Plateau across the gorge — now a national park — and looking back at Matera is one of the defining views of southern Italy. The city rises like something conjured from the rock, warm in the late afternoon light, almost impossible to believe.

Matera pairs beautifully with the rest of the region. From here, the trulli houses of Alberobello are just over an hour’s drive, and Lecce, the baroque jewel of the heel, is within reach for a multi-day southern loop.

What You Will Not Forget

There is a vast underground cistern beneath the main piazza that once held millions of litres of water — the engineering marvel that kept an entire city alive for centuries. You can walk through it today.

From the same rock that sheltered neolithic families, medieval monks carved tiny churches. Their frescoes still survive. A 13th-century painted Christ looks down from a ceiling that was once someone’s kitchen wall.

Matera is not one story. It is many stories — 9,000 years of them — all carved into the same cliff. That is what makes it unlike anywhere else in Italy, or anywhere else on earth.

Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Matera

What is the best time of year to visit Matera?

April to June and September to October are ideal. The light is beautiful, the crowds are manageable, and temperatures are comfortable for walking the steep sassi streets. July and August are hot and busy, though the evening atmosphere in the sassi is magical.

How do I get to Matera from other Italian cities?

Matera is most easily reached by bus from Bari (about 1.5 hours), which has good rail and air connections. From Naples, allow around 3 hours by car or a combination of train and bus. Matera has no direct train station, so driving or taking a bus from Bari or Taranto is the standard approach.

How much time should I spend in Matera?

Two nights is the minimum to do Matera justice. One full day covers both sassi districts, the rock churches, and the underground cistern — and at least one evening lets you see the city glow after dark. Three nights is better if you plan to combine Matera with Alberobello or the Puglia coast.

What should I not miss in Matera?

The Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario (a preserved cave home showing how families actually lived), the Palombaro Lungo cistern beneath the piazza, the rock church of Santa Maria di Idris, and the view from the Murgia Plateau at sunset. Book cave accommodation in Sasso Barisano if you can — waking up in a 2,000-year-old room is unforgettable.

You Might Also Enjoy

Southern Italy has more surprises than most visitors expect. Explore the Puglia coastline that rarely appears on Italy itineraries, discover why Lecce is the most beautiful city nobody talks about, and read the story of Alberobello’s trulli houses — built to be demolished.

Plan Your Italy Trip

Ready to see Matera for yourself? Start with the ultimate Italy travel guide — practical advice, regional highlights, and everything you need to plan the trip properly.

Sharing is caring!