Le luci di Matera [Explore 04-01-2017 !!] by Andrea Boggio Via Flickr: Belvedere Piazzetta Pascoli, Matera, Basilicata, Italia Explored on 04-01-2017 - Best Position # 33 - Current Position # 37 www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/2017/01/04/page4/ Matera counts about 55.000 inhabitants, is located 400 metres above sea level and is 45 km from the seaside. Much appreciated and renowned for its Sassi districts, the town also boasts other charming and beautiful buildings. The Sassi district is the ancient heart of the city of Matera. The Sassi surround the Civita and constitute a city unto itself, completely carved out of the face of the calcareous rock -what is known as tufa stone. The Sassi district is a system made of dwellings carved out of the steep slopes of a deep valley with surprising and unusual features called the ‘Gravina’. Elegant and multi-faceted buildings are interspersed with underground mazes and cave labyrinths, forming one single stunning landscape.