The Sassi (cave) district...

The Sassi (cave) district of Matera
[Matera - Italy]

The town of Matera is...

The town of Matera is perched on the edge of a deep ravine
[Matera - Italy]

It is divided into a...

It is divided into a bustling upper district and the quieter lower Sassi district
[Matera - Italy]t

The people of Matera used...

The people of Matera used to live in these cave dwellings
[Matera - Italy]

From the 8th - 13th...

From the 8th - 13th centuries, it is believed that such caves provided refuge for the monks from Eastern Anatolia
[Matera - Italy]

Peasants took over the...

Peasants took over the caves in the 15th century
[Matera - Italy]

By the 18th century some of...

By the 18th century some of these caves had evolved into fairly grand mansions and convents
[Matera - Italy]

Unfortunately, by the 1950s...

Unfortunately, by the 1950s the Sassi district was overtaken by squalor and poverty
[Matera - Italy]

Inhabitants were then...

Inhabitants were then forcibly rehoused
[Matera - Italy]

Today the streets and steps...

Today the streets and steps of Sassi lie empty and silent[Matera - Italy]

Old Town, Matera

Old Town, Matera
[Matera - Italy]