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Home > Travel Italy > Italy Destinations > Matera
Matera
Italy, officially the Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana, is a Southern European country comprising of the Po River valley, the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. It is shaped like a boot and for this reason Italians commonly call it lo Stivale, the boot or, due to its prevalent peninsular geographical nature, la Penisola, the Peninsula.
Matera is a town and a province in the region of Basilicata, sometimes referred to as Lucania, in the south of Italy. Apart from an economy which has traditionally been based on agriculture, in the late 1990s the major economic base of Matera and of surrounding cities is the production of upholstery furniture.
In the 7th and 8th centuries, the nearby grottos were colonized by both Benedictine and Greek-Orthodox monastic institutions. The 9th and 10th centuries were characterized by the struggle between Saracens, Byzantines and the German emperors, including Louis II, who destroyed the city. After the settlement of the Normans in Apulia, Matera was ruled by William Iron-Arm from 1043. Matera has gained international fame for its ancient town, the so-called Sassi di Matera. The Sassi originate from a pre-historical settlement and are suspected to be some of the first human settlements in Italy. Matera is the only place in the world where people can boast to be still living in the same houses of their ancestors of 9,000 years ago.
Like every city or town in Italy, Matera has its fair number of churches. However, nowhere else in Italy and possibly even the world, one will be able to see such a diverse collection of buildings related to the Christian faith. Some even believe that the very first churches ever used for worship were formed in the slopes of the surrounding ravine. Because of the ancient and primitive scenery in and around the Sassi, it has been used by film makers as the setting for ancient Jerusalem.
Matera is also known as the town of best geographical environment and has traced its origins back to prehistoric times. Today, one can also learn about its history, from its earliest times and can also enjoy its natural beauty concealed by the beautiful landscapes.
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