SOUL OF THE SOUTH
History meets cinema in Matera and Puglia
LONG overlooked by tourists, the Italian cave town of Matera is having a moment, spurred by its selection as the 2019 European Capital of Culture, its recent designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a timely dose of Hollywood: The just-released remake of “Ben-Hur” was shot here.
Matera’s nascent popularity is justified. Carved out of limestone and inhabited since the Paleolithic era, the city of 62,000 in the region of Basilicata has a storybook look — with lower-level homes carved directly into the rocks and its upper town capped by Baroque churches. Dozens of stone staircases join the two sections, which are flanked by small gardens called vicina
ti. Matera’s a town where visitors can sleep in luxury caves (tricked out with heated floors and Wi-Fi), hike in a nature preserve, eat hyperlocal burrata, admire modern art and Byzantine frescoes, and participate in the vaunted tradition of la passeggiata — strolling with the locals on the Via Ridola and Via del Corso and eating gelato, accompanied by strains of concert-level piano from the local conservatory.
“I’ve seen a massive increase in tourism,” says Michele Zasa, an archeologist who’s been giving private guided tours since 2002, when Mel Gibson filmed “The Passion of the Christ” here( mic he le.zasa@virgilio.it). “More and more tourists are visiting Matera, not only for its beauty, but for its history.”
And what a history it is. Until 1952, thousands of families lived in caves — called sassi— without running water or electricity, while in the upper part of the town, wealthier residents lived on pretty streets dotted with Baroque palaces. The writer Carlo Le-
vi, exiled to the province of Matera by the Mussolini government, likened the area to Dante’s “Inferno.”
“Matera was considered the shame of Italy,” Zasa says. “Our story is one of desperation and poverty, but also of faith and courage.”
And some canny privatepublic investments. In 2009, sustainable real estate developer Daniele Elow Kihlgren spent just $2 million to restore and renovate the 20 caves that make up Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita hotel (from $170; Sextantio.it). UNESCO and Matera’s municipality, which own the caves, waived the property’s rent for 30 years. The gorgeous retreat features 18 completely modernized, candlelit caves, a lounge and a dining room. Staying here is like sleeping in a cocoon, but one with deep Agape Spoon bath- tubs, verdant views, organic toiletries and optional private massages. Breakfast, served in a cave that was once a church, includes several kinds of artisanal, local cheeses.
For foodie souvenirs and another example of Matera’s progressive approach to tourism, stop in at Panecotto, a restaurant and gourmet shop that’s part of a business consortium dedicated to promoting local culture ( Panecotto.
it). Run by a very friendly staff, and named for the traditional peasant soup made with stale bread, Panecotto’s stocked with products that have humble origins but would be right at home at Dean & DeLuca: artichoke cream with lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, horseradish, zucchini and mint puree.
The drive southeast to Puglia passes endless fields of olive trees, wildflowers and fennel — the sort of landscape that makes you scan local real estate ads. Before reaching the coast, stop in Alberobello, another UNESCO World Heritage site, where the small, domed limestone houses called trullilook like a collection of whitewashed play homes. Fifteen minutes south, Borgo Egnazia ( from $250;
BorgoEgnazia.com), an understated but luxurious resort, is an ideal place to end a vacation — or to get married, as Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel did in 2012.