Kurz nach Sonnenaufgang in Sasso Barisano, einer der zum UNESCO-Weltkulturerbe gehörenden unterirdischen Städte Matera, Basilicata, Italien. Troglodyte-Wohnungen, einige vor Tausenden von Jahren geschnitten, wurden später erneuert und verwandelt; viele, wie in diesem Bild zu sehen ist, wurden durch herkömmliche Fassaden und Dachterrassen ergänzt. Dies ist ein digitales Bildmaterial, das aus einem Originalfoto erstellt wurde.
4256 x 2832 px | 36 x 24 cm | 14,2 x 9,4 inches | 300dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
7. September 2011
Ort:
Sasso Barisano, Matera, Basilicata, Italy
Weitere Informationen:
Dieses Bild kann kleinere Mängel aufweisen, da es sich um ein historisches Bild oder ein Reportagebild handel
Matera, Basilicata, Italy: early morning sunshine, soon after sunrise, warms the façades and arches of restored cave dwellings in the Sasso Barisano, one of two ‘underground cities’ here believed to be among the earliest human settlements in Italy. I created this digital artwork from a photograph I shot early one September morning in 2011. Caverns were first cut in the easily-worked calcareous limestone lining the Gravina river canyon or ravine by Stone Age settlers in about 7, 000 BC. Although the earliest caves were later abandoned, more troglodyte homes were cut in the Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano, together known as the Sassi di Matera, and they were later joined by many rock-hewn Christian chapels and churches. Some caves were inhabited for thousands of years, with many enhanced by conventional façades and roof terraces. The town of Matera was founded by a Roman consul around 250 BC. For most of its often turbulent history, the Sassi-dwellers co-existed with families living above ground. However, by the 1950s, Matera had gained an unenviable reputation as Italy’s poorest provincial capital, with many cave dwellers living in very unhealthy conditions and in abject poverty. The authorities decided to forcibly relocate most of them to modern homes elsewhere. Although some caves are still uninhabitable, in recent decades the Sassi have been regenerated by tourism. Many ancient cave dwellings have been sensitively converted into private homes, hotels, restaurants and holiday apartments. The local economy has thrived thanks to government support and European Union funding, and further boosted by the award of UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1993. Matera was also one of two European Capitals of Culture in 2019. Because the Sassi resemble parts of ancient Jerusalem, many biblical-themed films have been shot here, including Pier Paulo Pasolini’s ‘The Gospel According to St. Matthew’ (1964). D1253.B4958
