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Matera

Matera (, ; Materano: ) is a city and the capital of the Province of Matera in the region of Basilicata, in Southern Italy. With a history of continuous occupation dating back to prehistory (the eighth millennium BC), it is renowned for its rock-cut urban core, whose twin cliffside zones are known collectively as the Sassi.

AI overview

Matera is an ancient city in southern Italy that has been continuously inhabited since prehistoric times, making it one of Europe's oldest settlements. It is famous for its distinctive Sassi district, a remarkable urban area carved directly into cliffsides that represents a unique architectural and historical achievement.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Italian comune.name: Matera
Italian comune.official_name: Comune di Matera
Italian comune.native_name: Matàrë (Materano)
Italian comune.image_skyline: Matera - View from Sant'Agostino.jpg
Italian comune.image_flag: Flag of Matera.svg
Italian comune.image_caption: Panorama of the old town from the parvise of Saint Augustin church
Italian comune.image_shield: Matera-Stemma2.svg
Italian comune.image_map: Map of comune of Matera (province of Matera, region Basilicata, Italy).svg
Italian comune.map_caption: Matera within the Province of Matera
Italian comune.pushpin_map: Italy Basilicata#Italy
Italian comune.region: Basilicata
Italian comune.province: Matera (MT)
Italian comune.frazioni: La Martella, Venusio, Picciano A, Picciano B
Italian comune.mayor_party: Centre-right independent
Italian comune.mayor: Antonio Nicoletti
Italian comune.area_total_km2: 387.4
Italian comune.population_total: 60403
Italian comune.population_as_of: January 1, 2018

via Wikipedia infobox

Official website

Comune di Matera -

Sito ufficiale del Comune di Matera: servizi al cittadino, notizie, informazioni istituzionali, bandi e contatti con gli uffici comunali.

comune.matera.it →

Link to the official site · 13,678 chars · not written by Vinony

Wikidata facts

Instance of: comune of Italy
Official name: Matera
Demonym: materani
Country: Italy
Located in: province of Matera
Population: 59685
Area: 392.09
Elevation: 401
Time zone: Central European Time
Capital of: province of Matera
Shares border with: Montescaglioso
Official website: www.comune.mt.it
Image: Cittadimatera1.jpg
Dialing code: 0835
Licence plate code: MT

Show 11 more facts

Commons category: Matera
postal code: 75100
topic's main category: Category:Matera
Commons gallery: Matera
twinned administrative body: Toronto
category for people born here: Q9225736
category for films shot at this location: Category:Films shot in Matera
category of associated people: Category:People from Matera
P11012: High Seas Fleet
described by source: Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
P8168: Uxbenka

Sources (8)

via Wikidata · CC0

~23 min read

Encyclopedic overview

25 sections

Contents

History
Demographics
Government
Main sights
The Sassi (ancient town)
Monasteries and churches
Cisterns and water collection
Natural areas
Timmari
Other sights
Culture
Cuisine
Cinema
Music
Religious traditions
Notable people
Transportation
Sport
Twin towns – sister cities
Gallery
See also
Further reading
Notes
References
External links

Matera lies on the right bank of the Gravina river, whose canyon forms a geological boundary between the hill country of Basilicata (historic Lucania) to the southwest and the Murgia plateau of Apulia to the northeast. The city began as a complex of cave habitations excavated in the softer limestone on the gorge's western, Lucanian face. It took advantage of two streams that flow into the ravine from a spot near the Castello Tramontano, reducing the cliff's angle of drop and leaving a defensible narrow promontory between the streams. The central high ground, or acropolis, supporting the city's cathedral and administrative buildings, came to be known as Civita, and the settlement districts scaling down and burrowing into the sheer rock faces as the Sassi. Of the two streambeds, called the '', the northern hosts Sasso Barisano (facing Bari) and the southern Sasso Caveoso (facing Montescaglioso).

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Matera” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.