It’s difficult to imagine that Matera’s ancient warren was known not too long ago as “the shame of Italy” for its dismal poverty. In the 1950s, the entire population of roughly 16,000 ...

One of Italy’s poorest areas, it has recently become better known, thanks to the emergence of Matera one of Italy’s most alluring towns; a honeycomb of rock-cut churches and ancient cave ...

The city in question is Matera, a UNESCO-listed gem carved into the rock of Basilicata in southern Italy. Often referred to as “the second Bethlehem,” it’s thought to date back more than ...