Matera: from 'Shame of Italy' to European Capital of Culture

                                     

      After I told you about my trip to Puglia, I still owed you an Italian travel story, the last one for this year. And so it went, that on one of the days of this trip, we ended up in the neigbouring region of Basilicata, historically known as Lucania. Perhaps not many of you have heard of it, but this region, situated between Puglia and Calabria, is also home to Matera, the European Capital of Culture of 2019. Indeed, not even I knew much about this city until its designation, back in 2014. 

          

      
     What makes Matera so special? First of all, it doesn't look like anything else in the world. Its rocky historical center, also known as 'I sassi di Matera' ('The rocks of Matera'), is part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1993, the first one in Southern Italy. The 'sassi' are divided in two main areas: 'sasso Barisano', situated in the direction of the road to Bari, and 'sasso Caveoso', consisting of cave houses, carved in calcarous stone, and probably inhabited since prehistoric times. 

            

                         

       However, until the 1950s, Matera ended up being known as 'the shame if Italy'. Because, in these rocky houses, where nothing had been changed for centuries, entire families were living their lives in dire conditions. Can you imagine a small room, where a family of 10-12 members plus their domestic animals were eating, sleeping and living their daily life? Now we can, because these houses can be visited as museums, with guided tour included. Unbelievable as it may sound, this situation carried on until 1952, when Alcide De Gasperi, Prime Minister at that time, decided to move out the population of the rocky houses and started off the city's restructuration. The action was met with great resistance, but in the end all is well that ends well. Nowadays, apart from the historical and cultural value, many of these houses are also hotels, restaurants, shops and even homes, in spite of the high level of humidity.

               

           
     Here in Matera I also discovered the creativity of the people in connection with... food. Matera is famous for its bread ('pane materano'), and the people in the past were so poor, that they invented the 'cialedda', which is nothing more than bread salad. A mix of bread chunks, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, herbs and olive oil. Talk about turning something as simple as bread into something that may sound strange at first, but I am telling you that it's delicious! And it all goes better if concluded with a small glass of Amaro Lucano. :)

                         

        
      Nevertheless, Basilicata has remained one of Italy's poorest  and most remote regions, with under-developped infrastructure and offering very few career opportunities. However, it is hoped that with its newly-found status of European Capital of Culture, people from all over the world will start informing themselves more, consequently making tourism grow, and, at the same time, also the overall economy of the region.

                              

           
       My advice is to visit Matera at least once, and at least for one day. If you are looking for a place that is everything but common, with astonishing landscapes, and stories that will leave you speachless, here is your next destination. And of course, I wish Matera good luck with its new role, and to bring Basilicata and its people a well-deserved local development. 

          

Is Your City Living Up to Its Full Potential?

           

     One of the major advantages of living in a capital city, or any major city, is that you keep discovering new things about it, even though you were actually born there. I have seen Bucharest going through a lot of positive transformations since the end of the communist regime to the present day. New buildings appearing in the landscape and old ones being restructured, modernization works, some of them even unnecessary, but that's another story. Would you believe that in 2007-2008 the historic center, nowadays so full of bars, caffees, restaurants and shops, and loved by tourists and locals spending their spare times, looked like World War II had just taken place? Well, I'm still astonished too.

                         

                            

            However, I recently discovered that what has been already done is far from enough. Bucharest has submitted its candidature as European Capital of Culture 2021. With this purpose, several cultural NGOs are regularly organizing pedestrian itineraries free of charge (or based only on donations from participants - you give if and as much as you want). These itineraries, which are very popular amongst the city's inhabitants, as tens or even hundreds of people attend every time, are meant to raise awareness to the undiscovered and/or forgotten parts of the city, hoping that the message would get to people in authority and something is done about them.

                   

             

      I also attended this type of events a couple of times. And it's been insightful and saddening at the same time. Apart from the mainstream venues and touristic objectives, there are also many buildings, or even entire neighbourhoods, true jewels of architecture, which seem to be abandoned, perhaps claimed by some (real or fake) owner from the post-communist era, and left to deteriorate. Or neighbourhoods full of stories and legends from times past, which are now only inhabited by poverty and social cases. Or, a huge inhabited land by a lake generated a proper natural reservation, which is almost competing with the Danube Delta. Or, an amphitheatre which had started being built during the communist days with the idea of becoming a summer theatre is now abandoned and useless (well, I know communism has done lots of injustice to the population, but a summer theatre would do us good, as we like to have a rich cultural life in all seasons).

                   

          Bucharest has grown, but it can grow even more. I don't know if these things happen in all cities. I don't even know if action will be taken, or at least anytime soon. And I'm not that rich to become a top-notch land developper, 'cause otherwise I would. :) But one thing is certain: we cannot afford to lose such beauties, which can make our city an even more charming place. 

               

The Romanian Traveller: Sibiu - an Elegant Travel through Time

  

  

 When I wrote about Brasov, I must have proved to you that Transylvania is not a gloomy place at all. On the contrary: it could be considered the most fairytale-like region of Romania. From Brasov, our travel through Transylvania continues, till we reach another special city: Sibiu.

                           

   The first thing that will attract your attention is that in this beautiful city, time seems to have stopped in its tracks. Classical architecture reminding either of the Middle Ages, or of the Austro-Hungarian influences, mixed with the general traquillity and cleanliness of the entire city. The city also bears the German name of Hermannstadt and it is home to a considerable German minority.   Moreover, Sibiu was the European Capital of Culture in 2007, the first Romanian city to be part of the famous European initiative, which has also earned its status of Romanian cultural capital. And even now, years later, a wide variety of cultural events are taking part throughout the year. So, if you are into art and culture, this is definitely the place to visit. 

         

      

      What other tips would I give you?

   ... when it comes to finding accommodation, don't go for mainstream "modern" hotels, but for those set in villas, which tend to be decorated in a style of times past. 

            

     

     .... the same goes for restaurants - be it medieval, rustic, or Belle-Epoque, it is important to find those who provide a unique atmosphere. They generally serve traditional food of the region - prices are moderate, but you know that you eat well.

       ... for an amazing view of the city, it is worth climbing the Town Hall Tower (Turnul Sfatului). The stairs are narrow and numerous, you may get dizzy on the way, but the view is absolutely magnificent.

              

         ... from ancient tradition in the country-side to refined art and high culture: Astra Museum (also known as the Village Museum) and the Bruckenthal Palace Museum definitely should not be missed. 

         ... what about Liar's Bridge (Podul Minciunilor), also located in the city center? Many legends circulate about it, and the most common one is that if you tell a lie whilst being on the brigde, the bridge will start to moan and fall down. So... maybe it's safe not to try! ;)

          

       

      ... coffee and tea must be consumed with courtesy. Caffeterias Pardon and Salut confirm it. Again, it is all about the atmosphere: particularly Pardon would be dedicated to music lovers who wish they went back to the 1920s. ;)

       ... most touristic objectives are located close to the city-center and the Great Square (Piata Mare), apart from the Astra Museum, which, like an escape to the country-side, will bring us closer to nature.

           

       ... rooftops have eyes. And I'm not kidding! :)

       ... last but not least, people seem to be very calm and friendly.

   What can we say about Sibiu? History, culture, atmosphere, and an escape from the hectic and modern life. I highly reccomend it - you will not regret! 

         

Matera 2019: Italy's Next European Capital of Culture

 

 One of my favourite European initiatives is, without a doubt, the European Capital of Culture programme. The first European Capital of Culture was designated in 1985 as the Greek capital city - Athens. Since then, every year the title goes to different cities, by rotation amongst EU countries. The project has various key roles:

• giving the designated city the opportunity to emphasize its local cultural identity;
• direct the attention of various European cultural operators towards the designated city, in order to organize their own cultural events and performances in these locations;
• raising the visibility of the city on the international level;
• providing economic and touristic growth to the city and the surrounding region.
• even after the year as a European Capital of Culture has ended, developments in the city's cultural life and infrastructure are still visible. 

   Last week, one of the winners for 2019 was announced as the Italian city of Matera, situated in the extreme southern region of Basilicata. Matera has a little more than 60.000 inhabitants, and it is the second largest city of the region, after Potenza. A decision which I appreciated, as Basilicata is not a particularly famous Italian region, nor a top-spot  destination for international tourists. So, why not discover it? 

    To tell you the truth, I have never arrived in that part of Italy, and I knew almost nothing about it. But I tried to inform myself about the city of Matera and what makes it special. Matera is divided in two parts: a modern one and an ancient one. The ancient part of the city is also known as "i sassi di Matera" ("the stones of Matera"), which were declared UNESCO heritage in 1993, being also the first UNESCO site in southern Italy. These are mainly houses carved in stone. During the Middle Ages, monks went to live there and started digging these caves in order to build monasteries. Later in time, these monks started to leave the city, and people started to occupy the monasteries and inhabit them, until around 1920. However, the poor quality of living conditions made Matera the "shame of Italy", and therefore, during the times of Mussolini, people were forced to abandon the cave-houses and live in the newly-built modern city.  

   Nowadays, the city is becoming revalued, as many of these caves are being used again. Many of them are hotels, rupestrian churches, and even bars - all with a special atmosphere, as everything is set in stone. Plus, given the fact that in prehistoric times the land of the city was under the sea, in these caves we can still see marine fossils coming out of the walls. 

    And, for cinefiles all over the world, you must know that the movie "The Passions of the Christ", directed by Mel Gibson in 2004, was filmed in Matera.

    Consequently, we have a landscape that is unique in the world, with its very own unique history. It would certainly be good for Matera, and for Basilicata in general, to enjoy a well-deserved touristic growth, and the creation of new professional and economic opportunities, which, until now, are quite scarce in the region. One thing is sure: I have become curious to visit it, and I will be following all the news and initiatives related to Matera 2019.