Matera, the jewel of Italy’s Southern Basilicata province, is undoubtably one of the most interesting, unusual and memorable tourist destinations in Italy.
The legacy of its long history is imbued in every stone. Matera's troglodyte dwellings, ancient cave churches, underground water cisterns and its extensive cave districts, the “Sassi”, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site for over 25 years.
Ever since, Matera has become steadily more popular as an off-the-beaten-track tourist destination. The Sassi provide a unique and stunningly beautiful backdrop of stairways and narrow lanes, houses and churches carved out of the rock, steeped in history and art.