Matera

Can a national embarrassment become national pride? This is what happened to Matera over a few decades. Nestled in a small canyon carved by the Gravina River, this town was inhabited for thousands of years since the Palaeolithic times. In the prehistoric times, the local population started to settle in dwellings in the calcareous rock of the canyon itself that today are known as 'sassi'. Due to the extreme poverty conditions in the '50s, the government had to relocate most of its population to new housing in the modern part of the city.

Behive

Thanks to a change in culture and in local administrators, the 'Sassi's' saw a renaissance in the early 90's and are now being promoted as touristic attractions. Over the last two decades, many economic activities have populated these dwellings: restaurants, pubs, shops, bed and breakfasts and luxury hotels. It became a  UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993, not to mention the impact that Hollywood movies had on the city, such as Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ. Finally, it became the European Capital Of Culture in 2019!

Today it is a must-stop for many tourists who travel across Southern Italy, especially after a stay in Apulia or Calabria. That's what I did a couple of years ago, along with a dear friend of mine. Driving from Salento we arrived in Matera just before sunset and started to explore the Sassi. What you see in photos doesn't do it justice at all, and the atmosphere there is incredible. Walking through the alleys at dusk makes you feel like you're living in another time and place. Unfortunately, I stayed less than 24 hours, but I promised myself I'll be back as soon as possible to this part of Italy for a more extended stay.