Matera

Description

Matera is a city and a province in the region of Basilicata, in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Matera and the capital of Basilicata from 1663 to 1806. The town lies in a small canyon, which has been eroded in the course of years by a small stream, the Gravina. Known as ``la Città Sotterranea``, Matera is well known for its historical center called ``Sassi``, considered World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1993, along with the Park of the Rupestrian Churches. The area of what is now Matera has been settled since the Palaeolithic. The city was allegedly founded by the Romans in the 3rd century BC. Matera preserves a large and diverse collection of buildings related to the Christian faith, including a large number of rupestrian churches carved from the soft volcanic rock of the region.