Basilicata is a region in the south of Italy that is known as the ‘instep’ of Italy’s boot. Nestled between two beautiful coasts, the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian, with rugged mountains and national parks, it is the least populated and least visited of Italy’s regions and is definitely one of the country’s best-kept secrets. For The Holiday Show’s romance special we headed straight to the city of Matera.

Matera, a drive from either Naples or Bari airport, is unlike anywhere we’e ever been and when you’re visiting you have to completely change your Italian mindset. Matera isn’t Florence or Venice or Rome. It’s grittier and rougher and, in it’s own right, just as beautiful as them all.

The old town of Matera is known as the ‘Sassi’, which literally means ‘stones’, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1993, is said to be one of the oldest towns in the world and has been inhabited for almost 9000 years, since the stone-age. Its buildings aren’t so much buildings as caves, intricately muddled along small and meandering split-level cobbled streets and the stark and uneven landscape makes for the most picturesque of holiday hot spots.

Pizzeria La Planca

You don’t need any more information than that. Roam the streets aimlessly to find this place and just make sure you’re not too hungry when you arrive. It takes a while for the pizza to come, but it’s definitely worth the wait!

Locanda di San Martino

The Hotel "Locanda di San Martino" lies in the heart of Matera’s “Sassi” Historical District, and at the same time it is conveniently located at a very short distance (100 meters) from the city center. The Locanda radiates outward from the deconsecrated church of San Martino and the street of the same name, through a series of balconies that enjoy a sunny exposition and a wonderful view of the Sasso Barisano.

There are twenty-two guest rooms situated on four levels, renovated with the greatest care in order to respect their original forms as single homes.

Guests will be able to savor the experience of staying in cave-dwellings of the very same type as those which have been inhabited here for thousands of years; these, however, have been adapted to the comforts of modern living. All rooms are equipped with private bath, air conditioning, satellite television and high speed free internet connection. The rooms, common areas and levels are connected by passages cut into the rock, external stairways and an elevator which connects the lower three levels.
www.locandadisanmartino.it/en/hotel/

Foresteria di san Leo

If you’re not content with just being served Italian food you can always head for the hills of Trivigno, and to ‘Foresteria di san Leo’, an agritourism guesthouse and cookery school where the owners, Peppino and Maria Giovanna are passionate about preserving Basilicata culture and traditions. Maria is the littlest but loudest Italian Mama that you’ll come across and I couldn’t think of anyone better for a one on one, or a one on two, cooking class.

It is completely besides the point that Maria doesn’t speak English yet she is a wonderful hostess, chattering away in French and Italian long into the night, her enthusiasm for the region shining through. What does it matter when you can speak food!
Foresteria di san Leo

In and around Matera

Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It is known for its splendid “Sassi”, a vast Historical District made up of an ensemble of millennia-old buildings and caves excavated into and built out of the characteristic tufa limestone of the area.

The Sassi overlook a dramatic ravine and face the limestone plateau of the “Murgia”, where over a hundred Byzantine rock churches form the outdoor Parco delle Chiese Rupestri. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, the Sassi have been extensively restored into modern dwellings, shops, restaurants and spaces for cultural activities.

Together with the historic center proper of Matera, the Sassi offer excellent examples of Byzantine, Romanesque and Baroque art and architecture, not to mention important traces of peasent culture. Visitors will never tire of leisurely exploring the winding streets, nooks and crannies of the Sassi, but they can also see the Ridola National Archaeological Museum and the new Museum of Modern Art. In addition to its local gastronomic traditions and artisan crafts, Matera has an extremely active cultural life year-round.