Matera is a city and province in the region of Basilicata, in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Matera and was the capital of Basilicata from 1663 to 1806. The city is located in a small canyon carved by the Gravina River.
Known as "La Città Sotterranea" (the Underground City), Matera is famous for its historic center called "Sassi," which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, along with the Park of Rock-hewn Churches. On October 17, 2014, Matera was declared the Italian host of the European Capital of Culture for 2019.
There are many churches and monasteries that date back throughout the history of the Christian church. Some are simple caves with a basic altar and perhaps a mural, often found on the opposite side of the ravine. Some are complex networks of caves with large underground chambers, believed to have been used for meditation by monastic monks.
The area now known as Matera has been settled since the Paleolithic era. The city is believed to have been founded by the Romans in the 3rd century BC, under the name Matheola, after the consul Lucius Caecilius Metellus. In AD 664, Matera was conquered by the Lombards and became part of the Duchy of Benevento. During the 7th and 8th centuries, the nearby caves were settled by both Benedictine and Basilian monks. The 9th and 10th centuries were marked by the struggle between the Byzantines and the German emperors, including Louis II, who partially destroyed the city. After the establishment of the Normans in Apulia, Matera was ruled by William Iron-Arm from 1043.
After a brief period of shared rule and a series of epidemics and earthquakes, the city came under Aragonese control in the 15th century and was granted as a fiefdom to the Tramontano family barons. In 1514, however, the population rebelled against the oppression and killed Count Giovanni Carlo Tramontano. In the 17th century, Matera was handed over to the Orsini family and later became part of the Terre d'Otranto in Puglia. It later served as the capital of Basilicata, a position it held until 1806, when Joseph Bonaparte moved the capital to Potenza.
In 1927, Matera became the capital of the Matera province. It gained international fame for its ancient city, the "Sassi di Matera"(meaning "stones of Matera"). These dwellings are believed to be among the earliest human settlements in what is now Italy. The Sassi are homes carved into the same limestone rock, which is characteristic of the regions of Basilicata and Apulia. Many of these are actually more than just caves, and in some parts of the Sassi, one street lies above another group of dwellings. The ancient city grew on the slope of the rocky ravine created by a river that is now a small stream, and this ravine is known to the locals as "la Gravina."
Στη δεκαετία του 1950, η κυβέρνηση της Ιταλίας χρησιμοποιηθεί βία για να μεταφέρουν το μεγαλύτερο μέρος του πληθυσμού της Sassi σε περιοχές του αναπτυσσόμενου σύγχρονης πόλης. Μέχρι τα τέλη της δεκαετίας του 1980 τα Sassi θεωρήθηκαν μια περιοχή της φτώχειας, αφού κατοικίες του ήταν, και στις περισσότερες περιπτώσεις εξακολουθούν να είναι, μη κατοικήσιμες.
In the 1950s, the Italian government used force to relocate most of the population from the Sassi to areas of the developing modern city. By the late 1980s, the Sassi were considered a poverty-stricken area, as many of its dwellings were, and in most cases still are, uninhabitable.
Matera was built over a deep canyon, and it was difficult to supply water to its inhabitants. The first settlers made great efforts to construct water cisterns and canals. The largest cistern has been found beneath Piazza Vittorio Veneto. With solid rock pillars carved from stone and a dome height of over fifteen meters, it is a true cathedral of water, navigable by boat. Like other cisterns in the city, these collect rainwater, which is distributed in a controlled manner to the Sassi.
Υπήρχε επίσης ένα μεγάλο αριθμό από μικρά επιφανειακά κανάλια(rasole). Επιπλέον, πολλές σε σχήμα καμπάνας δεξαμενές σκαμένες στα σπίτια γέμισαν από τα όμβρια ύδατα. Αργότερα, όταν αυξήθηκε ο πληθυσμός, πολλές από αυτές τις δεξαμενές μετατράπηκαν σε σπίτια και πραγματοποιήθηκαν άλλου είδους συστήματα νερού συγκομιδής. Ορισμένες από αυτές τις πιο πρόσφατες εγκαταστάσεις έχουν το σχήμα των σπιτιών βυθισμένος στη γη.
There was also a large number of small surface channels(rasole). Additionally, many bell-shaped cisterns carved into homes were filled with rainwater. Later, when the population grew, many of these cisterns were converted into homes, and other types of water collection systems were implemented. Some of these more recent installations are shaped like houses sunken into the earth.
The Tramontano Castle, which began in the early 16th century by Gian Carlo Tramontano, is the only above-ground structure in the area. However, the construction remained unfinished after his murder during the riots of December 29, 1514. The castle features three large towers, though twelve were likely part of the original design. During restoration work in the city's main square, parts of the castle were discovered. However, during the excavation, large Roman cisterns were uncovered. Entire house structures were also found, where one can see how people of that era lived. Located beneath the main square of the modern city, it was a large underground cistern, complete with columns and a vaulted ceiling.
Λόγω του αρχέγονου τοπίου μέσα και γύρω από τα Sassi, έχει χρησιμοποιηθεί από τους κινηματογραφιστές ως αναπαράσταση για την αρχαία Ιερουσαλήμ. Οι παρακάτω διάσημες κινηματογραφικές ταινίες βιβλικής περιόδου γυρίστηκαν στη Ματέρα:
- Pier Paolo Pasolini's Το Ευαγγέλιο κατά Ματθαίον (1964).
- Bruce Beresford's Βασιλιάς Δαβίδ (1985).
- Μελ Γκίμπσον's Τα Πάθη του Χριστού (2004).
- Abel Ferrara's Mary (2005).
- Catherine Hardwicke's Η Ιστορία Της Γέννησης (2006).
Due to the ancient landscape both within and around the Sassi, Matera has been used by filmmakers as a representation of ancient Jerusalem. The following famous biblical period films were shot in Matera:
- Pier Paolo Pasolini's The Gospel According to Matthew (1964).
- Bruce Beresford's King David (1985).
- Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (2004).
- Abel Ferrara's Mary (2005).
- Catherine Hardwicke's The Nativity Story (2006).
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