Sassi di Matera, the new Italian tourist attraction

An Italian town inhabited continuously since the Stone Age attracts tourists worldwide that are eager to see with their own eyes how humans use to live 9,000 years ago. Sassi di Matera is believed to be the oldest cave-town continuously inhabited in the world, dating 9,000 years ago and is situated in the south region of Italy. Sassi, a UNESCO protected area, part of the town of Matera is a rock canyon shaped tower that was formed by a large river.

The area impresses with mazes and stone stairs from the Stone Age and also caves and churches and attracts visitors from all over the world. Sassi di Matera takes the form of a mix of stone shelters that fits perfectly into the landscape, but behind the picturesque dwellings there are many stories about the hard life in this region. By the end of the twentieth century, people living there had no access to running water, the lack of electricity and adequate facilities for waste and garbage.

Over time, more caves were dug and transformed into houses for the growing population, but residents desperately needed basic supplies, as there are were no shops in the area. Families lived among their animals, used to eat simple food and get sick of all sorts of diseases, malaria representing a major threat.

After the Second World War, the cave residents were moved into modern housing in the city of Matera, located on the rocks. While many of the rooms are now abandoned and forgotten, many settlement have been improved by Unesco projects, which declared the aria a World Heritage Site in 1993. Several caves have been converted into cozy and comfortable houses, hotels and restaurants.