It was the heart-rending Meowing of a cat to thank for that directly under the hotel window, that it is not just the beautiful intent remained to walk early in the morning by the people of Matera. The cat stretched himself with relish on the low stone wall, parapet, and cautiously approached the Stranger, stalked but all the same, always anxious to look backward, as she wanted to ask, to follow her over the wall and parapet in the blocked Area of the cave settlements. And You followed her. The Grass was still wet from the morning dew, the sun peeked out in the caves. So here, in this deep into the lime stone-dug homes, have until the middle of the 20th century. Century, of the 15,000 people, often together with the animals without water and electricity have lived. These inhumane conditions were for what felt like an eternity. But it was not until after the writer Carlo Levi in his 1945 book published Christ stopped at Eboli open the policy, was forced to intervene and eliminate the "shame of Italy", as it was called back then, as quickly as possible.
In many of the now uninhabited and with junk-littered cave of the oven, carved Tray and to detect the very back of the room for the mule are built. And only now, when this is actually forbidden tour, you get a feeling of uniqueness. It is only in the weather conditions and tide times, unprotected, exposed caves you can feel in a place reached, represents a "unique testimony to a lost civilization". So it was in any case in 1993, also in the grounds of the Unesco, Matera is in the list of world cultural heritage. It was an award that meant the Materani much, because it was viewed as an important step in the direction of Rehabilitation. More followed, until the appointment of the Italian cultural capital of Europe in 2019, exactly four years ago. So now, the shameful stain to be wiped away permanently.
most of The visitors to Matera spend your time in the city in order to immerse themselves in the up in the Neolithic time-depth history. You pilgrims of rock Church to admire the rock Church, paintings on the wall, move on to the again true to the original furnishings, the officially accessible rock structures and clatter tirelessly the streets, where the cave dwellings are located. In the meantime, many of these cave stores, workshops, Hotels, Bed and Breakfast buildings.
The workshop of Raffaele Pentasuglia, a friendly mid-thirties, is still in the Civita, the old part of the cave settlements. When you enter, you will receive a small funny figures made of ceramic, clay and papier-mâché. "Actually, I studied physics," says Raffaele, "but then I got caught up in the family tradition. My grandfather, who was by profession a painter, created in the winter months, figures from papier-mâché. Later, my father followed him. The special feature of our characters is that they are off the wall Wallpaper remnants – so very cheap Material." This also applies to the figures on the festival of Carro della Madonna della Bruna, a carriage, in honor of the patron Saint at the 2. July pulls through Matera. To see the witches, robbers, and Monachelli are: "are like goblins," explains Raffaele. "It means that they embody the souls of the infants that died before baptism. And who gets to face, and it even manages to carry him the red hat to take away the will of the monachello the place where the robbers once their treasures hidden."
