The city once called “the shame of Italy” has become one of the most spectacular destinations in Europe. Tourists pay hundreds of euros for a night in the caves
Once considered a “national disgrace” and almost completely evacuated in the 1950s, the Italian town of Matera has now become one of Europe's most spectacular tourist destinations, with visitors saying the experience leaves them “speechless”.
Italy continues to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, thanks to iconic places such as the Amalfi Coast, Florence or Rome, which attract millions of tourists every year. But, far from the classic tourist routes, in the south of the country, the region of Basilicata hides a city that surprised Europe with its spectacular transformation.
Located on a rocky massif, Matera was known in the past as “the shame of Italy”due to the extremely difficult conditions in which the locals lived in the historic Sassi district.
The city of Matera Photo: the truth
The houses dug into the rock, used for centuries, were evacuated by the Italian authorities in the 1950s, after the area was considered unsuitable for living, writes express.
At the time, former Italian Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi described Matera as a “national shame”. The area had no sewage, electricity or minimal sanitation, and poverty was extreme.
A former resident of the town recounted that life there was “heavy, with families of nine or ten children sleeping next to mules and pigs”.
“I was starving,” Luigi Plasmati recalled in an interview a few years before, when he was 89 years old.
The image of the city has completely changed. The old caves have been converted into boutique hotels and luxury apartments, many of which are available on platforms like Airbnb.
Tourists who choose to spend the nights in these historic dwellings describe the experience as a unique one.
A review posted on TripAdvisor by a tourist staying at Pietragialla, a property overlooking the city, went viral due to the enthusiasm expressed.
The city of Matera Photo: the truth
“I have no words for how good we felt. It was an incredible experience and everything was unbelievable. The room is fantastic. The bathroom is the most beautiful bathroom I have ever been in and the tub looks like it is from another planet. But the most incredible thing is the silence”wrote the tourist.
He told that he had a “perfect sleep”due to the total darkness and stillness of the cave, which “it has no windows”.
The guest also appreciated the breakfast prepared from the previous evening, which included fresh fruit, juices, marmalades, local bread, almonds and almond milk.
“As soon as you step out of the room, you have the whole city center in front of you, which looks like something out of a fairy tale. Pietragialla is a once-in-a-lifetime experience”he also wrote.
The city of Matera Photo: the truth
The historic district of Sassi di Matera today houses museums and rock-hewn churches that give tourists a glimpse of life in the past.
Among the most popular attractions are St. Lucia alle Malve, considered one of the most beautiful cave churches in the area, famous for its hundreds of years old mosaics.
