🗺️🇮🇹 Matera, Italy: A Guide to the Paleolithic City🌧️🤌🏽

A walk through Matera, Italy, takes us to a city that was born in the Stone Age. Today, three million years later, we can visit this ancient city nestled among the Basilicata Mountains.

This is where locals built their first homes in 7,500 BC: the Sassi. Caves dug into the mountains were settled with rudimentary tools and chipped stone, later becoming the symbols of the city.

Sacred Stage

Matera, Italy, was built on a limestone plateau. Its churches, houses, and monasteries were built in the natural caves of the Murgia Mountains. Walking among large fissures, ravines, giant rocks, and caves is very similar to walking through a nativity scene.

So much so that iconic Christian films were filmed in the streets, alleys, and corners of this city. These included Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ in 2004 and Pier Paolo Pasolini's The Gospel According to Saint Matthew in 1964.

Part of its history: A period of peace occurred when the Normans arrived in Italy, but it didn't last long. Later, it became a royal town and was ceded to Count Giovan Carlo Tramontano, who was murdered by the locals. If anything characterized the villagers, it was their character; they were the first to rebel against the Nazi occupation.

What to do in Matera, Italy?

In the morning, visit the Belvedere Luigi Guerricchio to avoid the hustle and bustle of other visitors and enjoy the birdsong. This is a popular—and unmissable—spot where it's easy to appreciate a panoramic view of the city. The arched terrace is named after the famous contemporary painter Luigi Guerricchio. It is also called the Belvedere dei Tre Archi (Three Archi) and is known for offering the best view of the city's cathedral.

The best terrace for watching the sunset is the one dedicated to Emilio Colombo, an important Italian political figure in the history of Matera in the second half of the 20th century. The Belvedere Emilio Colombo is very close to the Church of Sant'Agostino, a monastery located in the Sasso Barissano neighborhood that offers visitors panoramic views of the ancient city. At sunset, the entire city is tinged with violet and orange hues, turning Matera into the perfect setting for a fairy tale—or a religious one.

For a nighttime light show, the Belvedere Giovanni Pascoli terrace is a great option to admire the excavated caves of Sasso Caveoso. You can also admire the Church of the Madonna dell'Idris, which was built into one of the cliffs of Matera, Italy.

Classic spots

• The Sassi di Matera (Matera Rocks) is a neighborhood declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Walking through its winding streets leads you through alleys, gardens, caves, and terraces to discover the charm of the city. The Sassi di Matera were built on the volcanic tuff that surrounds the Gravina Valley.

• Sasso Caveoso takes you straight back in time. It boasts countless rock-carved churches that tell the story of Matera and the people who lived there. It was abandoned after the war, but the structures remain intact. The houses in Caveoso are also carved from stone, like those in Sassi, but are uninhabited.

• Casalnuovo Cave House is a portrait of the before and after of Matera's dwellings. This is how the inhabitants lived for centuries until the 1950s, when they moved to modern homes.

• The Crypt of Original Sin was used by shepherds as a shelter for livestock. It features paintings from the medieval Mediterranean period and is also known as the Sistine Chapel of Cave Churches. The left wall depicts the triarchate of the Apostles, the Virgin Queen, and the Archangels. The back wall depicts a pictorial cycle of Creation and Original Sin. Floral paintings unite and complement the work. The Crypt of Original Sin is believed to have been built in the 9th century, but it was not discovered until 1968. It is located southeast of Matera and lies within the rock of Gravina di Picciano.

SPANISH SECTION:

HIKING en CDMX: Peña "La Bufa"

¿Un bosque coníferas con ocotes blancos y pinos como tu próxima aventura? Peña La Bufa está a tres horas de CDMX y es ese sitio que todo amante de las actividades extremas ama.

En lo alto, a más de 3,400 metros sobre el nivel del mar, en Villa del Carbón se encuentra situada peña La Bufa. Un lugar que te reta y pone a prueba tus habilidades como senderista. Aunque también puedes aprovechar y acampar, ver las estrellas, practicar rappel o ciclismo de montaña. Definitivamente es el sueño de cualquier senderista que busca nuevas actividades extremas en CDMX —o cerca de—.

Where to eat in Matera, Italy?

The restaurant at the Hotel Palazzo Viceconte is open to the public and offers views of the Murgia Park and the Cathedral of the Madonna della Bruna and Sant'Eustachio. It features traditional Italian cuisine, an international cocktail bar, and a dedicated wine cellar.

To delight your palate with fresh pasta, try Osteria Pizzeria La Coca Cola. A restaurant and bar located in an 18th-century cellar carved into the tuff limestone. The pasta with chickpeas, peas, and local cardoncelli mushrooms is a must.

A coffee at Café Lanfranchi includes sweet snacks, croissants, and pastries, a panoramic view of the Sassi, and a play of light among the monuments at the sacred aperitif hour—starting at 6:30 PM. This spot is considered one of the best by locals.