Sassi di Matera Audio Guide

The Sassi di Matera and Via Muro: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to the Living Stones

   You are standing on Via Muro, a winding balcony that offers one of the most breathtaking views in the world as it overlooks the ancient district of Sasso Caveoso. Look around at this pale, limestone landscape; you are in the heart of what is believed to be the third oldest continuously inhabited settlement on Earth, with human presence dating back over 9,000 years. The word Sassi literally means 'stones,' but as you can see, these stones were more than just earth—they were homes, churches, and entire communities carved directly into the calcarenitic rock. This street, Via Muro, serves as your gateway into a place where the line between nature and architecture is almost invisible.

2. 02

   The Ghost Town’s Rebirth

   It is hard to believe today, surrounded by these beautiful hotels and restaurants, that in the middle of the twentieth century, this city was called the 'Shame of Italy'. In the 1950s, Matera became a symbol of national poverty. Families were living in overcrowded caves with their livestock, battling malaria and harsh conditions. In 1952, the Italian Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi signed a special law that forced nearly 17,000 residents to abandon their ancestral cave homes for modern apartments in the new town. For decades, the Sassi remained a silent ghost town. However, Matera’s dignity was restored in 1993 when it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized as a masterpiece of human adaptation to its environment.

3. 03

   A Masterclass in Ancient Engineering

   As you walk, notice how the streets and the roofs of the houses are often the same thing. In Matera, you might be standing on a neighbor's ceiling. One of the most fascinating features hidden beneath your feet is the ancient water management system. Because the plateau has no natural springs, the inhabitants designed a complex network of bell-shaped cisterns called palombari. They harvested every drop of rainwater, filtering it through a series of communicating vessels to provide water for thousands. For a practical insight, look for signposts to a casa grotta, or cave house museum, where you can step inside a preserved home to see how people and animals shared these rock-hewn rooms with remarkable efficiency.

4. 04

   Hollywood’s Ancient Jerusalem

   The spectacular descent you are walking on, Via Muro, has been a favorite for international filmmakers for decades. Its dusty, timeless appearance makes it a perfect double for ancient Jerusalem. In 2004, Mel Gibson chose this exact street to film the dramatic Via Crucis scenes in his movie, The Passion of the Christ. More recently, this very staircase saw the footsteps of Daniel Craig and Lea Seydoux during the opening of the James Bond film No Time to Die. When you look across the ravine at the caves on the opposite cliff, you are seeing the Murgia Plateau, where the same ancient settlements first began thousands of years ago.

5. 05

   The City of Eternal Light

   As you continue down Via Muro toward the heart of the Sasso Caveoso, you might notice how the atmosphere shifts as the sun begins to set. Locals often call Matera the 'Crib of Italy' because, at night, the thousands of small lights from the cave windows make the entire valley look like a shimmering Nativity scene. There is so much more to notice—the hidden rock churches with Byzantine frescoes or the way the 'vicinato' courtyards encouraged everyone to live as a single large family. Allow yourself to get lost in the labyrinth ahead. Every narrow stairway and hidden corner has its own secret, just waiting for a curious traveler like you to discover it.