Canadian World Traveller Spring 2019 Issue

Matera rising
For centuries, Matera was a poor area and
right up to the middle of the last century,
the population lived in appalling conditions.
With the aid from the rest of the
country it has now risen to be a magnificently
beautiful city. So much so that it has
been chosen as the European Capitol of
Culture for 2019 and its people are proudly
working hard at beautifying the city to
welcome the thousands of visitors this year.
Activities, tourist attractions and many ceremonies
are already ongoing.
The very old quarters also called the Sassi
are bound by hills and ravines that give it a
secluded feeling. Here its people would dig
straight into the hills to create home
dwellings. This is apparent all round, as
construction material was scarce and
expensive. All that was left to do was add a
facade.
For history buffs, there is the Tramontano
Castle, begun in the early 16th century, it
has three large towers and as it was being
refurbished large Roman cisterns were
unearthed. Whole houses were discovered
and are now on display to explore how the
people of that era lived.
The area has been featured in many films,
including 2004’s The Passion of the Christ
and the 2016 version of Ben-Hur We had
fun spotting locations seen in the films.
The best thing for me was to wonder the
streets of both the Sassi and the newer
more flat part of town. Life goes by very
slowly, where there is no stress, rush or
crowds. There are plenty of beautiful old
churches as well as many museums that
depict the Matera’s culture and struggles.
There are also numerous Cafés, boutiques,
artisanal shops and the main Cathedral to
visit. My two favourites were a visit to a typical
historic cave dwelling and a local bakery.
Panificio Cifarelli
What a delight visiting a local bakery where
you can smell this Panificio before you see
it. This family business started decades ago
and is now in the proud hands of the third
generation. There are many offerings here
but most of their regular clients bought
Matera bread. This bread is special to this
city and is made with a specific Durham
grain from the region. The bread is also
shaped in a unique way as it has been for
centuries in Matera.
Aquatio Hotel
Not often have a slept like a king in a cave
but this was no ordinary cave. Carved to
resemble ancient grottos, it is none less
than a luxury hotel with the best possible
amenities including seamless Wi-Fi, floor
radiant heating, marvellous washrooms
and a to-die-for shower head.
The spa at the Aquatio is something to
behold. Within the same design of caves
and grottos, you can relax in the sauna, the
Turkish baths or in a beautiful, heated
swimming pool embedded in the natural
rock with wonderful ambient lighting.
Palazzo Margherita Boutique Luxury Hotel
Leaving Matera, we would find this charming
palace is owned by the famous
Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola.
Having a grandfather from this region he
decided to get back close to his roots and
purchased this grand dame and turned it
into a home for his family as well as a luxury
hotel. The four year, top to bottom renovations
have made this property a true
gem and a delightful place to see Basilicata
comfort at its best.
Our brief visit and tour of this remarkable
estate included lunch but with a twist. We
would have to make the meal ourselves.
This was a blast as chefs taught us how to
make three different kinds of pasta, all
from scratch. With wonderful local wines
we would feast Italian style in a marvellous
atmosphere.
see following page
73
Canadian World Traveller Spring 2019