Matera
There are cities with skyscrapers, others with castles, and some by the sea. But Matera is very different. In this city in southern Italy, many houses, churches, and streets were carved directly into the rock thousands of years ago. The most surprising thing is that many people have lived here almost without interruption since Prehistoric times.
That is why Matera is part of the Impossible Cities category. It is a city carved into the mountain that has remained inhabited for more than 9,000 years, something that occurs in very few places in the world.
A very ancient city
Matera is located in the Basilicata region, in southern Italy. It is built next to a deep ravine through which a river once flowed. The walls of this ravine are made of a very soft rock called tuff. Thousands of years ago, its first inhabitants discovered that it was easy to carve with simple tools. Thus they began to create caves that little by little turned into dwellings.
Over time, those caves grew and gave rise to entire neighborhoods. Then streets, stairs, squares, and churches appeared, forming a genuine city.
The famous cave-houses
The best-known part of Matera is called the “Sassi,” which means “stones” in Italian. In these neighborhoods, many houses are carved directly into the rock. From afar they look like normal homes, but upon entering one discovers that several rooms go into the mountain.
Some families lived for centuries in these cave-houses. Inside they found a pleasant temperature both in summer and winter, since the rock helped maintain warmth or coolness. Today many of these old dwellings have been turned into museums, hotels, or small restaurants.
Churches under the mountain
Not only houses were carved into the rock. There are also numerous churches built inside the mountain. Their walls are decorated with very ancient paintings that show religious scenes. Some are more than a thousand years old and can still be seen. Entering one of these churches is like traveling to the past. Everything seems to have remained almost unchanged for centuries.
A city that never stopped living
One of the most surprising aspects of Matera is that it has been inhabited for thousands of years. Generation after generation, its inhabitants expanded the caves, improved the homes, and adapted the city to new needs. While other ancient settlements were abandoned, Matera kept growing.
Thanks to that long history, today it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the planet.
A city that changed over time
For many centuries, life in Matera was quite simple. Families shared the caves with their animals and living conditions were difficult.
In the mid-20th century, many people moved to more modern neighborhoods. The old houses remained empty for a time. Years later, work began to restore them. Little by little, Matera recovered its beauty and became full of life again.
Recognized worldwide
Matera’s historical importance led UNESCO to declare it a World Heritage Site in 1993. Furthermore, in 2019 it was chosen as the European Capital of Culture. Since then, it has received visitors from all over the world who want to discover its stone streets and its impressive carved houses.
It has also served as a setting for several films thanks to its ancient and spectacular appearance.
An impossible city to replicate
Matera is not just a city built on a mountain. It is a city created within it.
Its landscape is the result of thousands of years of work, taking advantage of a very special rock and always adapting to nature. It would be very difficult to build a similar city today, because the same geological conditions and a history spanning nine thousand years would be needed.
That is why Matera belongs to the impossible cities. It is a unique place where nature and people have worked together for thousands of years to create one of the most surprising cities in the world.
