Well, the sleeping didn’t go as well as I had hoped. I fell asleep quickly around 10 p.m., but then was awake from about 2 until 4. I didn’t want to blog in the middle of the night because I’m very sensitive to blue light, so I read several chapters of my book instead. My alarm went off at 7. After getting dressed, I went outside to blog. I’m trying to get some morning sun to help reset my circadian rhythm.
Anne joined me shortly afterward for breakfast. We enjoyed a European breakfast on a terrace overlooking Matera while soaking up the morning sun. After posting yesterday’s blog, I joined the group—with my walking stick—for a walking tour of Matera.
The hills of Matera are made of sandstone. People either lived in natural caves or dug caves into the stone to create their homes. As a result, people were literally living on top of each other, with some cave dwellings stacked as many as 10 levels high. During this period, the poor lived in the valley or at the bottom of the “cave stack,” while the rich lived at the top. There is a river nearby to supplement the rainwater collected in a series of cisterns.
For centuries, Matera changed very little. In 1953, the government decided that the quality of life for the town’s residents was unacceptable and described Matera as the “shame of Italy.” People were living in extreme, third-world poverty in ancient cave dwellings that were considered unlivable. We went into a museum that showed what life was like for the people who lived in the caves.
In 1953 the government started building a new town and moving the residents into new accommodations. The old town was essentially evacuated by 1970 and sat dormant until 1993, when Matera became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was then renovated into what it is today. In fact, it is constantly being renovated to maintain it to UNESCO standards because the stone is very vulnerable to pollution and weather.
Today, the old town mostly consists of hotels, shops, and restaurants. Almost all of the residents live in the new town.
During our walk, we stopped at the Church of Santa Lucia (the original church dates back to the 9th century) to admire its murals.
We also walked along the main street, which had lots of nice shops. There were plenty of stops for picture-taking along the way.
Another claim to fame for Matera is that it was featured in the 007 movie No Time to Die. I’ll have to rewatch the movie when I get home.
We had lunch at a restaurant that offered a local dish consisting of orecchiette pasta with tomato sauce and mozzarella.
After lunch, we came back to the hotel and had the afternoon free.
Anne and I went to the bank and then looked at a couple of stores. Anne got some stone ventilation covers that she plans to frame. Then we spent a little time blogging and journaling.
Later in the afternoon, the group gathered for gelato, and then we walked a little more before coming back to the hotel to finish blogging.