In what is the instep of Italy’s boot, the first forays into Italy from North Africa came to settle in Matera 10,000 years ago. Living quarters were fashioned in both the limestone caves and ...

How Matera Went From Ancient Civilization to Slum to a Hidden Gem Once the “shame of Italy,” the ancient warren of natural caves in Matera may be Europe’s most dramatic story of rebirth ...

How to spend a weekend in Matera, Italy's rock-hewn city. This ancient city offers an enticing Italian getaway with its frescoed churches, Michelin stars and underground art.

An example is Matera, in Basilicata, currently a city of 60,000, with a unique legacy that frames a remarkable setting of almost 10,000 years of continuous human occupation.There, the history of ...

Italy’s oldest city that’s a 10,000-year-old ancient paradise carved into a rock One of the most impressive parts of the city is the Gravina canyon, where homes appear to spill down the cliffside.

Tucked inside the arch of Italy’s boot, Matera could have easily disappeared into the annals of history — the community was inhabited some 10,000 years before falling into disrepair, and was ...

Instead, it was rediscovered, not least by all the moviemakers. Artists began to squat. Preservationists got obsessed. UNESCO named Matera a World Heritage Site in 1993, and then came the alberghi ...

What happens when you time travel in real life? I put my daily routine to the test in Matera, Italy—one of the most ancient cities on Earth—before jumping to the futuristic world of Tokyo, Japan!