Matera is known for its caves which were used as homes since possibly prehistoric times. They were inhabited up until very recently, when in the 1950's, the government forced the relocation of the residents due to unsanitary conditions and an outbreak of malaria. Here you can see a few of the caves built into the rock.
These caves were set up as homes...
...or places of worship, as some were set up as churches by the Byzantine or Basilian monastic orders. Above is a recreation of what a fairly recent home would have looked like, and below is the inside of a cave church.
The town spread around the hills and along the valley and now provides a very stunning view as you approach it: a large concentration of old structures used as homes, churches, B&B, restaurants and shops.
Here's some shots taken as we were strolling around the old historic town.
As you can imagine, many of these structures are in pretty bad shape and in desperate need of repair, so there's always plenty of construction workers around town. Got a peak into the courtyard of one of the homes, and I gotta say, the renovations are doing wonders.
Yes, that's behind one of the walls and gates of an old looking dilapidated building. I guess when you get to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site, people are suddenly interested in the old fixer-uppers.
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