Matera

40° 39′ 48″ N, 16° 36′ 37″ E

Matera, a town in the region of Basilicata, is perched on the edge of a small canyon eroded by the Gravina. The lower Sassi (caves) district is divided into the Sasso Barisano and the Sasso Caveoso.

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Culture

The following biblical movies were filmed there because of the ancient scenery reminding the ancient Jerusalem:

The Gospel According to St Matthew, Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1964.
King David, Bruce Beresford, 1985.
The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson, 2004.
The Nativity Story, Catherine Hardwicke, 2006.

Main Sights

Sassi: The Sassi, houses dug into the rock itself, are suspected to be some of the first human settlements in Italy.
Chiesi Rupestri: Santa Lucia alle Malve, Santa Maria de Idris, San Giovanni in Monterrone, Convicinio di Sant’Antonio, Santa Barbara.
Churches: Duomo (13^th century), San Francesco d’Assisi (13^th century), San Pietro Caveoso.