Photo: Bonisch

Matera’s ancient cave dwellings are reminiscent of Jerusalem and Palestine, making it well-suited to serve as a location for biblical films.

Source: The Italian city that plays ancient Jerusalem in the movies

Photo: Yahoo

In the southern Italian town of Matera, a system of natural caves called Sassi first inhabited during the Paleolithic Age has become a bustling tourist destination. It’s something of a full-circle moment for the city, which was once called “a national shame” by an Italian politician. Starting as a troglodyte settlement and then becoming home to peasants and artisans during the Middle Ages, Matera fell into squalor by World War II, with an infant mortally rate as high as 40 percent.

Source: Ancient Cave Dwellings in Italy Transformed Into a Luxury Hotel and Spa

In Japan, Shinto Buddhists destroy their shrines every 20 years and then rebuild them exactly as they were, to remind themselves that everything is transitory, but then again, everything returns. In Barcelona, construction continues on the Sagrada Familia church, which was left unfinished when its architect, Antoni Gaudi, was killed in 1926.

Source: A Festival of Destruction in One of the Oldest Cities in the World

Cave dwellings, rock churches, and artifacts from the Neolithic era join with a proud effort to preserve its history and deliver a truly unique experience in one of the chosen European Capitals of Culture for 2019.

Source: A Practical Guide to Italy’s Small Miracle Called Matera

Inhabited for millennia, Sassi di Matera was abandoned in the 1950s. Today, it straddles the past and the present…

Source: Matera, crafted in stone

Welcome to Italy’s most beguiling town: Matera’s renaissance as a cultural capital is impressive and unmissable…

Source: Matera: A guide to Italy’s most magical hilltop town

Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, Matera in the province of Basilicata, has become a great tourist draw and location for moviemaking.

Source: The Eerie Charm Of Matera, Italy

Matera, Italy, has become one of the world’s most fascinating destinations. Here’s how to experience the ancient cave city—and 2019’s European Capital of Culture—above and below the surface.

Source: Matera Was Once Considered the ‘Shame of Italy.’ Now It’s a Hub for Cave-Hopping Jet-Setters.