Sassi di Matera
Listed under Ancient Dwellings in Altamura, Italy.
Inhabited 9,000 years ago, I Sassi di Matera redefines the common notion of “old.” For thousands of years people literally dug their homes into the rocky mountainside, eventually modernizing them with current technology, but still technically living inside a mountain. Today people visit this World Heritage site to see the Palaeolithic settlements, a variety of churches, and Tramontano Castle. It’s no surprise that Mel Gibson chose to have The Passion of the Christ filmed in this ancient town.
Written by 
Sarah Clise.
Comments, reviews and questions by other travellers
Who's been here
Similar Experiences
Skara Brae
The ruins of Europe's most complete Neolithic village, Skara Brae, were uncovered from beneath by a mound during a ferocious Or…
Mesa Verde
A great concentration of ancestral Pueblo Indian dwellings, built from the 6th to the 12th century, can be found on the Mesa Ve…
Villa Oplontis
Put simply, Pompeii wasn't the only city that was buried under that eruption from Mount Vesuvius. Herculaneum, Stabia, Nuceria…
we went to Matera last summer: wonderful! we stayed at the Residence San Giorgio (www.sangiorgio.matera.it) a hotel in the heart of beautiful and evocative "Sassi" of Matera. rooms carved into the rock and the recovery history make it a dream. definitely an experience to repeat.