Matera
Sassi di Matera
A Prehistoric Cave Dweller Settlement ~
Where Mel Gibson filmed “The Passion of the Christ” in 2004.
Matera ~ UNESCO World Heritage Site
The World’s Third Oldest City!
Some of the very few remaining original frescoes at
the Cathedral of Matera.
Inside the Cathedral of Matera
The cathedral was built in the Apulian Romanesque style in the 13th century.
The high altar has an altarpiece by Fabrizio Santafede depicting
“The Virgin with Saints.”
Matera once contained such appalling poverty and unthinkable living conditions
that in the 1950s it was denounced as the “Shame of Italy.”
Ironically, the town’s history of outrageous misery has transformed it into a leading tourist attraction.
Our guide, Cosimo, show us the inner alleys of Matera.