Matera, Basilicata, Italy - a photo on Flickriver

Italy's magical city of stone have been inhabited for around 10,000 years. It is one of the oldest settlements in Italy and probably one of the oldest in the world. Archaeologists have found artifacts in the city’s caves dating back to pre-Neolithic times.

Over the centuries Matera flourished. It was an important stop on the transumanza (where herders pass through with their sheep) and played a vital part in the wool trade, but in the 20th century with the invention of artificial fabrics and cheaper wool sources it began its steep decline.

What had been a city with a continuously inhabited, unbroken line from pre-history to modernity that was unique in the whole of Europe became a ‘national disgrace’, with inhabitants living in rudimentary conditions with no running water or electricity and sleeping alongside their animals.

In 1993 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the organization’s reason being that it is ‘the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte (cave-dwelling) settlement in the Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem.’

It was the ultimate revenge on the city’s detractors when the ‘national disgrace’ became the European Capital of Culture in 2019, proving what its inhabitants had always known: that Matera is a national treasure.

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Taken in: Italy / Basilicate / Matera / Matera (show map)

Taken on: September 5, 2022

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Matera - Italy

Italy

Italian Culture

Village

Hill

House

Scenics - Nature

Summer

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Architecture

Landscape - Scenery

Residential Building

Basilicata Region

Building Exterior

Cathedral

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Stone House

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Urban Skyline

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Bell Tower - Tower

Canyon

Cave

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Color Image

Cultures

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Horizontal

No People

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Ravine

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Sets appears in: • Italy

Groups appears in: • L'Europe pittoresque • The ArchiteKt (city and architecture) / Admin Invite

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, f/10.0, 1/500 sec, 35mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Lens:	EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM
Aperture:	f/10.0
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/500)
Focal Length:	35mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 24.4 (Macintosh)
Show full info

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