Sunset at beautiful Matera.
Matera is a city in the southern Italian region of Basilicata and also the capital of the province of the same name. The city is best known for the Sassi, a district composed of houses partially carved out of the mountains. Matera's origins lie in prehistoric times when people began carving houses in the gorges in the area.
The city consists of two parts; the Sassi near the gorge and the modern city on the plain. The Sassi were still inhabited by 15,000 people until 1952 when the Italian government banned it due to poor sanitary and hygienic conditions. In the center of the Sassi, at its highest point stands the cathedral dating from 1230. Besides this church, the Sassi counts 155 cave churches, from a few square meters in size.