One Italian city that definitely merits a visit is Matera (in the region of Basilicata in the South of the country). The city/town was quite impoverished up until the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the first incarnation of today’s EU, in 1957. When Italy joined that group, broader efforts to modernize the country began and residents of Matera, who in many cases had been cave-dwellers, were moved into improved housing. However, today those old caves have been cleaned up and renovated and incorporated into apartments and also hotels and bed and breakfasts for visitors.
These cave-dwellings are just part of part of Matera’s charm. The city sits atop a canyon/gorge carved by the Gravina River. The real joy of visiting Matera, besides enjoying great Italian food, is getting lost in the city’s winding streets and stairways. For those of you who like to hike, touring the city on foot offers a fun adventure full of climbs from hill to hill and admiring the local architecture from dozens of perspectives. Note: it’s well worth your while to descend the hill on the side the main city sits on and cross over to the opposite side and visit the many abandoned caves that remain there. You then have access to magnificent vistas of Matera proper.
I chose to visit Matera during the July-August, which provided the opportunity to also view local religious festivals. One included the Festival of the Madonna, replete with streets strewn with colored lights, a handful of local marching bands and young churchgoers carrying a statue of the Madonna through the city. I also learned the following: do not get in the line of sight of a smaller Italian with strong religious convictions. I did and my friend and I ended up having a heated discussion with a local named, Franca. In any case, we learned a usedful Italian word “calma.”
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