Matera has gained international fame for its ancient town, the Sassi di Matera. The Sassi originated in a prehistoric troglodyte settlement, and these dwellings are thought to be among the first ever human settlements in what is now Italy.
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Is Matera worth visiting? Yes! This small city in the Basilicata region is in a part of Southern Italy that often gets overlooked. It's one of Italy's most unique destinations.
Matera is an ancient city that seems to have existed forever. It is the third oldest city in the world, after Aleppo and Jericho, with over 10,000 years of history. The rock caves, the rocky Murgia of Matera and some primitive dwellings of the Sassi tell of ancient settlements.
Founded c. 600 BC by Greek settlers from Phocaea, Marseille is the oldest city in France, as well as one of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited settlements.
But be careful, during your Matera walking tour, you will involve a lot of walking, and as the city is hilly, hot—especially in the summer—and completely out in the open, you'll want to make sure you pack comfortable shoes and plenty of water.
There are tourists in Matera now, but not too many, with most coming and leaving by bus long before the sun sets. As more and more cave hotels are built and with people like us spreading the word, Matera will rival the popular northern cities in terms of tourism.
Palazzo Gattini is the hotel of Matera that contributed to the new James Bond movie offering hospitality, privacy and serenity to the movie director, Cary Joji Fukunaga, and to the main actors, Daniel Craig and Léa Seydoux.