6-7 September 2023 Exploring
Matera and the Crypt of the Original Sin
We spent the day exploring this very unique and amazing
town. While I had a walking tour all
planned, we decided instead to just wander the little streets, alleyways and
piazzas (or squares). It does not matter
where you turn, there is always a spectacular view waiting for you.
Our first stop was to the Casa Grotta, a former cave home
that has been refurbished to show how it looked when families live in these
caves prior to 1952. This particular
home housed a family of 6 – mother, father, 4 children and their farm animals –
donkey, chickens, pigs, and sheep. It
basically had 3 separate areas that had been carved out of the soft rock – an area
for the animals, the bedroom which had the master bed, a cradle and a bed above
the master for the children, and the area in the center where the family
ate. The house had no plumbing – water came
from a little cistern that ran along the floor.
The house was heated by the manure of the farm animals. It was kept in a hole in the floor and as it
fermented it produced heat (along with a nasty smell). I can see why in 1952 the government moved
everyone out and into newly built homes/apartments in the new part of Matera.
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| Sassi from our Hotel |
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| Living area of the Casa Grotta |
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| Bedroom of the Casa Grotta - Bed on top was for Children |
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| Where the animals were kept in the house |
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| Kitchen area of the House |
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| Where they got their water |
We then strolled along one of the main streets of the Sassi
trying to find the piazza where we would meet our tour to the Crypt of the
Original Sin tomorrow. Following a map
was somewhat difficult as most streets and alleyways do not contain street
signs. We finally did find a piazza that
we thought was where we wanted to be, but it was not the one. It was, in fact, the Piazza Vittorio Veneto,
the main square of the historic center and the main access point from the new
Matera to the Sassi..
Located under the Piazza is the
largest of Matera’s cisterns, the Palombaro Lungo or Water Cathedral, that made
up the complex water system of the Sassi of Matera. All these cisterns are connected to one
another through a system of underground passageways. It collected rainwater and water from the
surrounding hills to supply the nearby area with a source of water. Its initial construction started in the 16th
century, but over the years, as the Sassi’s population grew, it was expanded
until it was finally abandoned in 1920 after the construction of the Apulian
Aqueduct. The cistern is 49 feet tall,
holding about 1,320,000 gallons of water, and has walls made of tuff covered
with a special waterproof plaster. It
was only rediscovered in 1991 during renovation work on the Piazza. Looking at the cistern is like looking at a
large stone labyrinth, with its pillars, arches carved out of rocks, and
passageways connecting it to the underground water system. However, after our ordeal in Naples with the
underground cistern system, we decided not to descend down into the
cistern. We just sat in the piazza and
enjoyed a cold drink.
Upon returning back to our hotel, we learned from the
manager that had we only walked about 10 minutes up some steps at the end of
our street, we would have found the right piazza. Well, at least we know where we have to go
tomorrow and we did manage at least 10,000 steps while enjoying some incredible
views. Below are scenes of the Sassi as we walked through the maize of alleys and little streets.
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| Cathedral of Matera with its Bell Tower |
While we did not try and climb up to the Matera Cathedral –
it sits on the highest point of the Sassi – we are able to enjoy viewing it
from our hotel. It is dedicated to the
patron saint of Matera, the Virgin Mary (under the designation of the Madonna
della Bruna). The cathedral is also dedicated to the Christian martyr Saint
Eustace. Saint Eustace was a pagan Roman
general who became a Christian after he had a vision of the cross while
hunting. He was martyred in AD 118 by
the Roman Emperor Hadrian when he refused to participate in a sacrifice to
pagan Roman gods.
The next morning we successfully found our way to the tour’s
meeting point. While we waited for the tour, we discovered that we were right
next to the Church of Purgatory. This is
perhaps the most unique and interesting of all the
churches in Matera. This 18th
century baroque church is not what most would expect to see – it was a place
that people could go and pray for the souls who were trapped between heaven and
hell. It was used by both the Catholic
and Orthodox religions. The outside
façade is unique to say the least. The
upper section is adorned with angels, fruit baskets, and penitents wrapped in
flames with Madonna and Child in the center.
It is the bottom half that gets weird.
The wooden door has 36 panels with four panels containing the skulls of
nobles and clergymen and just below them are four more panels with four skulls
of the common people. The other panels
have bones attached to them. Above the
door are two skeletons, one with a scythe and the other holding an
hourglass. They are next to an emblem of
a skull and a person between flames. And
lest we forget the side doors – they each have skulls mounted on top of them.
Not to be outdone by the outside
façade, the interior has paintings not only of saints, but souls stuck in
purgatory. And of course, we cannot
forget additional decorations of skulls and skeletons. An organ, which has medallions of various
saints, was built in 1755 and sits above the front entrance. There are three altars, with the main altar
adorned with a canvas depicting San Gaetano who intercedes with the Madonna for
the souls of purgatory, while one of the other depicts San Nicola da Tolentino
and the purging souls. Also inside the
church are eight paintings\depicting scenes of the Passion, a mocked Christ,
St. Andonio, Madonna, and St. Francesco.
The church is no longer an active church and is used instead to house
different exhibitions of modern art which change monthly. The one piece that really caught my attention
was located right next to the high altar.
It was an upside down motor scooter that was resting on five basketballs. I have no idea what it symbolized and I am
not even sure I would call it art! I
know that art is in the eyes of the beholder, but mine were definitely not
impressed.
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| Door with Skulls |
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| Church of Purgatory |
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| Entrance to Church of Purgatory |
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| Inside the Church |
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| Ceiling of the Church |
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| Art Display with Basketballs |
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| Inside the Church |
Our trip to the Crypt of the
Original Sin was fantastic. The tour
started with a wine tasting at a small winery that also operates the
Crypt. We especially enjoyed the red wine,
Kistos, that they produce. It is a blend
of Primitivo, Merlot and Cabernet. We
actually bought 2 bottles so we could continue to enjoy it on our trip. I also bought a package of Orecchiette (little
ears) pasta that is made in Puglia. Now
I just have to get it home without crushing it!
The Crypt has beautiful frescoes
dating back to the 8th century.
It is located in a natural cave on the Murgia plateau very close to the
old Appian Way. Also called the “Sistine
Chapel of Rupestrian Art,” it is one of the oldest examples of Italian rock
art. It was only discovered in 1963 when
a group of local youths who were shepherding their sheep took refuge inside the
cave. Inside the Crypt are frescoes of
scenes and stories from the Old Testament, especially the book of Genesis and
the story of Adam and Eve from which the Crypt got its name. There is also an area where frescoes show
images from the New Testament – the apostles John, Andrew, and Peter as well as
the angels Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael, and Mary and Baby Jesus. When we entered the Crypt with our audio
guides, we were seated on stone benches where we watched the play of lights and
listened to the Gregorian chants as we learned about the history of the
frescoes. The frescoes were the work of
the anonymous monk, who has been nicknamed the Flower Painter of Matera after
the red flowers that appear in his paintings. His style was inspired by
Benedictine, Romanesque, and Byzantine style of art. As an example, in one fresco the Virgin Mary
is depicted wearing clothes that would have been worn by a Byzantine empress. Photos were not allowed inside the crypt, so
I must thank the internet for the pictures you see below of the frescoes found in the Crypt.
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| Adam and Even in the Garden |
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| Church of San Francesco d'Assisi |
Walking back to our hotel, we passed through the San
Francesco Square where the Church of San Francesco d’Assisi is located. It is a
beautiful baroque church dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, after the saint
visited Matera. It was built around 1200 AD.
Unfortunately, the church was closed today so
we could not visit the inside.
Returning from our tour, we rested in the afternoon (in spite
of a nice breeze, it is still hot here in Matera) and that, coupled with the
steps tends to make us lose energy quickly.
I have also discovered that it is easier going up the steps than coming
down. Most areas do not have handrails
and the cobblestones are slippery, so you really need to take your time
walking.
In the late afternoon, Larry and Patrice arrived from
Rome. As it turned out, their hotel was
just across the street from ours. We met
at 7 and walked up the street to the Baccus’s Restaurant for dinner. This restaurant is known for its pasta, and
it did not disappoint. Bill said his lasagna
was outstanding and I ordered a red wine pasta and cheese dish that was to die
for. Then it was a leisurely stroll back
to our hotel as tomorrow is another busy day with a morning tour to park across
the ravine and we must move from our current hotel as our official pre-tour of
Puglia starts tomorrow at a different hotel.
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| Bridal Couple Having Pictures Taken |
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| Baccus's Restaurant |
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