The Ancient City of Matera, Italy is Still Off the Beaten Track

Matera, Italy.
Matera, Italy. Photo by Stefano dininno on Unsplash

If you’re visiting Italy and want to try “doing as the Romans do”, one way is to visit the tourist locations frequented only by Italians. One such place is the ancient city of Matera, just north of Italy’s Apulia region. This city has a fascinating history but is still fairly unknown to international tourists so it’s a great place to visit to feel like a local.

Ancient Population

Matera has one of the longest continuous inhabitancies in the world, with evidence of population even 7000 years ago. There, you can see the prehistoric caves where Italy’s ancestors lived. 

Infamous Slum

Interestingly, Matera was an infamous slum until only 70 years ago and residents were still living in caves made up like houses. The very poor population there lived without modern amenities until a book brought attention to their conditions and things improved.

The Sassi

The most famous and beautiful part of Matera is the Sassi, which is the area of the ancient city with its winding streets and overlapping houses. Many Italians like to walk among the Sassi, getting lost in its stone alleyways and snapping photos along the way. If you want to feel like a part of the country, this is a great place to visit.