Matera – Italy’s Most Echanting Place
‘Parli Italiano?’… ‘Si’….. then just like that, our new friend, Luigi, a tubby man in his 60’s dangling an old cigarette from his lips, lured us into an abandoned ancient cave with the pretence of showing us a wine cellar. Three hours later, In a classically Italian fashion, Nick and I were still there – eating – a lot.
Matera
So rewind – we’re in Matera – undeniably the most beautiful, interesting and enchanting place I’ve ever been to. The Sassi (the historical centre of Matera) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest inhabited cities on earth. Most visitors to the south of Italy opt for Puglia for its pretty Trulli huts and white-washed coastal towns; however while you’re in Puglia, take a little detour to the west of Bari and discover this ancient gem in the neighbouring region of Basilicata. It is really worth the while.
Matera at sunset
We got to Matera at sundown, twisting and turning in our trusty Fiat 500 along this hilly region and finally turning a corner to be faced with this view. The impressive entrance into The Sassi.
Unbeknown to us before arriving, Matera has a really unusual and bleak past. Basilicata as a whole is Italy’s poorest region and until not that long ago Matera was a disease-ridden and impoverished town that was declared a ‘national shame’ in the 1950’s. The town, which sits above a deep ravine, has literally been carved into the rocks pretty magically. Early settlers of Matera lived for centuries in cave dwellings and this continued until the 50’s, when the living conditions deteriorated dramatically and everyone had to be rehoused outside the city centre. It is now resurfacing as a national treasure and boutique hotels, guest houses and stylish restaurants are reclaiming the Sassi, making it one of the most fascinating holiday spots, full of history.
View of Matera from a crumbling archway
Matera had long-been on my bucket list because of Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita. This stunning boutique cave hotel is part of the natural landscape and rock formations of old Matera. We were explained its history when we checked in. It was an ambitious project to sensitively renovate and give a new lease of life to 18 original cave dwellings that had been abandoned in the 50’s. Our cave for the night was simple and yet so luxurious… white linen on the bed, a stand-alone bath in the middle of our suite, a sleek shower, underfloor heating and temperature controlled settings. The light was my favourite feature. You couldn’t make out any lightbulbs, all being cleverly concealed to resemble candlelight diffusing from the corners of the cave. It was beautifully natural and the most special place I’ve ever stayed.
Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
Our cave suite at Le Grotte
Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
The next morning we had a guided tour of the Sassi’s ancient crypts and churches. We were then left to our own devices at the foot of the Sasso Caveoso, an area of abandoned cave dwellings, which from afar appear prehistoric as they seamlessly blend into the arid landscape.
Sasso Caveoso Matera
For Sale! A cave for sale in the Sasso Caveoso
This is where we came across Luigi, a long-time resident of Matera. It was the middle of the day and we were walking around this quiet and eerie labyrinth of old caves. Out of nowhere Luigi appeared and invited us to his wine cellar for a complimentary ‘degustazione’. This sounded good to us! But I should have known – in Italy there’s almost always a catch! Along with a Belgian couple who had also misleadingly been lured into the cave, we were invited to taste some of the local wine, bread and olives. So the four of us took a seat, smiled and absorbed the peaceful atmosphere. Out of the blue, a huge frying pan brimming with freshly prepared orecchiette alla parmigiana came out. Four courses, 2 bottles of wine, biscuits, coffee and a digestivo later we were asked by Luigi to ‘pay what we like’. The concept is good but cheeky in this case as ideally it is useful to know in advance before getting yourself stuck into a three-hour feast! In any case, it was a real slow food experience and just as the sun started to set, we managed to get away and amble back to our own private cave for some peace and quiet on our last night in this prehistoric wonder.
Our slow-food feast in the heart of the Sasso Caveoso
Luigi dishes up his local specialties
Orecchiette dish
Herb-infused olive oils - yum!