Sassi di Matera and the ravine on the edge of town

I don’t even know where to start this post about Sassi di Matera. I am almost lost for words. It is a unique place that everyone should see and feel. I think these images you’ll see here captured how I always imagined this place to be. I first heard about Matera about ten years ago and I wanted to visit ever since. Finally, that moment came.

I arrived to Matera on a November afternoon with my uni friend, also called Eva. We have known each other for a long time but let’s not put a number on it. Eva has been to Matera with her family before but she was happy to go back again as she was just as mesmerized by the place as I was when I first saw it. We were on a Puglia trip and Matera was our starting point although it is not in Puglia but in Basilicata. We rented a car at Bari airport because we found it was the easiest way to get to Matera (and later around Puglia) although it is of course possible to reach the town by train or bus. If you travel by car, you have to remember to leave your car outside Sassi di Materra. So we left the car and walked from Matera (the modern part) towards the ancient cave-town, Sassi di Matera.

Church Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso, Sassi di Matera — *Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso, originally built in 1300.*

Sassi di Matera is considered to be one of the oldest and continuously - definitely since 7000 BC if not before - inhabited settlements in the world. The Sassi are houses dug into calcarenite rock, which is characteristic of this region. The architecture of Sassi di Matera is a unique blend of rock-hewn and built structures. You look at the town from any viewpoint and you can so easily get lost in all these architectural details, walls, staircases, paths, a bit like a lego city.

Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita in Sassi di Matera

We spent one night in Matera and that was at the very unique Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita. We booked a classic cave and being an absolute claustrophobic, I was most curious about whether there was a window on our cave or not. We were shown to our cave and the very welcoming receptionist explained the history of Matera to us, how the town was only discovered by the rest of Italy in the 1950s and how everyone was shocked by the conditions the people of Matera lived. They were asked to leave and settle in modern houses. What followed was the slow decline of the empty caves, discovered by drug users, amongst others. Thankfully, someone realized how special this town was and since 1993, Sassi di Matera has been a Unesco World Heritage site. We were sent this amazing video about the place, here’s the link to it explaining what basic and poor conditions people and their animals lived in these caves for thousands of years and right up until the 1950s.

Breakfast room at Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita in Sassi di Matera

Breakfast at Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita in Sassi di Matera — *Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita*

What I loved most (well, almost most) about Sextantio is the use of candles. I am myself a big candle user so if nothing else, this would have given them my five star. There were candles in our room and all over the restaurant too. It was so cosy coming home, after we got absolutely soaked by a downpour, and sitting by candle light, eating a delicious dinner at the used-to-be church restaurant. Even if we arrived close to closing time (for aperitivo, yet too early for dinner), their chef took so much care serving us hot food. We stayed until he finished, we just enjoyed so much that atmosphere. The following morning, breakfast was served at the same place and it was just exceptional. Quiet, candle lit, delicious breakfast. Top marks.

Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita and the views of the ravine and caves opposite

Cave room in Matera at Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita — *This was our cave room with a donkey door (donkeys and a family lived here)*

Sextantio is situated on the edge of Sassi di Matera overlooking the Murgia Park with its rock churches and natural caves. When the night came, the whole place became so so silent and although it was dark, you could somehow make out those caves just across the ravine. I would love to go back to Matera again and sitting at one of these tables, in that peace and silence that I have never experienced before. Top marks for that too.

Church San Pietro Caveoso in Sassi di Matera — *Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso*

In my opinion, religion is so strongly present anywhere you go in Italy. I loved these street shrines (I have a full collection of these on my camera roll, mostly from Florence) and being brought up Roman Catholic, I find comfort in seeing these as they always remind me of my grandmother.

Church San Pietro Caveoso in Sassi di Matera and green cave door — *Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso*

Narrow alleys winding between cave houses, stone arches, terraces and small courtyards, so many beautifully simple details holding so much history. We spent an afternoon, an evening and the following morning wandering the narrow streets and alleys of Matera. Up and down, up and down, we walked sooo much. You don’t need a map, just walk, just get lost, sometimes you run into dead ends, a private courtyard, then you go back, it’s a bit like a maze.

Sassi di Matera showing the rocks it was built on and a wooden cave door with grapevine

Sassi di Matera caved into rocks — This part of Matera was closed off and looked delerict, probably undergoing some sort of renovations. I Loved this view as it really shows the rawness of these buildings and how they have been for centuries.

Sassi di Matera view and grapevine running up walls around cobbled streets

The view of Sassi di Matera and a white vespa outside a wooden door

Tiny rock church in Sassi di Matera — Churches, chapels, street shrines, absolutely everywhere.

Ancient walls of Sassi di Matera and red wooden door

While we saw Matera in full darkness too, one of my favourite times seeing it was at dusk, just as the little lights started to appear by front doors and on stone walls. Matera is an extremely tranquil town where you don’t hear any cars or traffic. There were not many people in its tiny streets and alleys. It was dark by 5pm and a downpour chased us back to our hotel through the dark alleyways. It was too early for dinner with restaurants opening at 7.30-8pm. Our hotel was still open for aperitivo which then turned into a light dinner for us. More top marks.

Convento di Sant'Agostino in Sassi di Matera — *Convento di Sant'Agostino*

Cobbled streets of Sassi di Matera and Cactus growing in stone container

Matera is a truly special place. Do not expect anything luxurious here. What Matera offers is something you won’t find anywhere else. It really is hard to describe, it has to be seen. I’m sure I’ll go back one day and then I will want discover much more of the history and the people who call(ed) Sassi di Matera their home over the centuries.

All pictures in this blog post were taken on my little Ricoh GR iiix. I loved using it.

Sassi di Matera

A new little camera, the Ricoh GR III