Matera is a city in southern Italy known for its infamous history. However, good policy and the very picturesque surroundings of this place gather crowds of tourists every day.

I had the opportunity to visit this place with a local guide, so I will use the knowledge I gained from her: the people grom Matera built their houses in caves that are available everywhere. They have walls only in the entrance, but the residential are was located directly in the raw rock of the hill. The biggest problem of this solution was, of course, the lack of sewage and no access to basic source of water, which caused the city to suffer from numerous plagues. Residents were forbidden to live in their own homes and ordered to move to more civilized places in the city. When I heard this story and the phrase "people lived in caves" I thought of the times before our era or the Middle Ages. How surprised I was when I found out that people lived here in such conditions until the mid-20th century! During a one-day trip, I had the opportunity to see what the interior of such a rock house looks like, I heard the story of how people managed to survive in such difficult conditions for years, and we talked to the local owner of a handicraft shop, who was born in one of the caves. Amazing story, I'm glad I had the opportunity to see such a different Italy.

One more fact deserves mentioning - not all caves have been inhabited. Part of it is still available to visit if we go on a mountain trip to the surrounding hills. The view of them is simply amazing! From Matera's viewpoints you can see wild paths, plants and remains of ancient people. I guess the view from the hill overlooking the white city must be even better. If I have the opportunity to visit this city alone, I will definitely go for a hiking there.

I highly recommend visiting this part of Italy. Each city has its own unique character. Matera is raw and intimidating, with two neighboring hills we can observe modern history and prehistory at the same time. In my opinion, it is the most phenomenal place I have seen in the southern part of the country.