Part of the ancient town of Matera, known as the Sassi, or area of cave dwellings: Matera, Basilicata, Italy
The Sassi di Matera are two districts (Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano) of the Italian city of Matera, Basilicata, well-known for their ancient cave dwellings inhabited since the Paleolithic period. The "Sassi" have been described as "one of the most unique landscapes in Europe" and were named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. The Sassi originate from a prehistoric troglodyte settlement and are suspected to be among the first human settlements in Italy. There is evidence that people were living here as early as the year 7000 BC. The Sassi are houses dug into the calcarenitic rock itself, which is characteristic of Basilicata and Apulia.
Size: 5120px × 3413px
Location: Piazzetta Pascoli, Matera, Basilicata, Italy
Photo credit: © will Perrett / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: attraction, basilicata, bruna, cathedral, caveoso, città, city, della, destination, di, duomo, europe, format, gravina, heritage, horizontal, italy, la, landscape, location, maria, matera, pascoli, perrett, photography, piazzetta, santa, sassi, sasso, site, sotterranea, spectacular, stones, subterranean, tourism, tourist, tower, unesco, world
