The Pit City of Matera: From "the shame of Italy" to the backdrop of James Bond

The flat expanse known as Ovcje Polje is currently not a tourist spectacle, yet it possesses the potential to become one. This assessment comes from a travel narrative describing a recent automobile journey from Belgrade into North Macedonia. The driver noted that discovering even a single mysterious location, previously unknown during the Yugoslav era, provides an exceptional start to any trip. The region is widely considered the windiest area on the Balkan peninsula. The account reflects on the shift from historical rail travel to modern car journeys. Previously, long trains composed of green, grey, and blue passenger cars with sleeping compartments connected Central Europe to Athens via the Balkans. These services bore romantic names such as Hellas, Acropolis, Balkan, and Venezia. They were designed to facilitate tourism toward the Mediterranean but became symbols for local men traveling to Germany in search of work, money, and freedom. The atmosphere of these trains was characterized by the smell of onions, roasted chickens wrapped in greasy paper, unwashed bodies, and sweaty socks. This sensory experience defined the romance of Yugoslavia and its many secret locations. In contrast, the Italian city of Matera has transformed from a symbol of national shame into a cinematic backdrop and cultural capital. Today, the city appears enchanting and unspoiled. A cluster of 1,500 dwellings, palaces, and churches is anchored in tuff rock, offering views unmarred by modern clutter. The author stayed at the Vetera Matera boutique hotel, which opened last year. Its rooms, pool, and bar are carved directly into caves, making the structure indistinguishable from surrounding ancient formations. Some cave chambers have been inhabited for approximately 9,000 years. Determining the age of specific buildings is difficult because structures were built and expanded atop one another over centuries, creating an urban honeycomb effect. Cave dwellings occupy the valley floor while palaces sit on the heights. The most refined stone carving dates back to the Renaissance, when monks added facades to caves or extended their roofs into arched rooms. Stone staircases still connect attics, bell towers, and balconies, each attached to others like dynamic cubist sculptures. Behind iron grates lie Byzantine monasteries carved into the rock, featuring magnificent fresco interiors. Peppino Mitarotonda, an artist working with the local cultural group and Zeema Foundation, described the Sassi district to Smithsonian magazine as resembling Swiss cheese, riddled with tunnels and caves. He stated that only 30 percent of the structure is visible on the surface, with the remaining 70 percent hidden below. Scholars debate when the Sassi di Matera were first settled, though evidence suggests habitation since the Paleolithic era. This makes it one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world. Located strategically in the canyon of the Gravina River, the site resisted invasions and devastation by Franks and Muslim tribes before undergoing a dramatic change in status. Until 1952, residents lived more like tribal communities than members of a developed Western European society. Families shared central living spaces with livestock, lacking sewage, running water, or electricity. However, they possessed a sophisticated system for filtering rainwater using connected channels and settling basins that linked the entire city and individual units. Maragliulo explained that neighbors had to live as a community due to water dependencies, regardless of personal relations. Laundry was washed in urine, and bread dough starters included fermented grapes, figs, and cow dung, which contain bacteria similar to yogurt. Naturalism and morbidity are prominent features of this unusual city. Maragliulo pointed out animal bones used as consoles under eaves. He also directed attention to shallow pits in unpaved squares, explaining that these were used for burying the dead. After a few years, bodily fluids would drain through channels in a process called scolatura. The remains were then moved to church crypts in seated positions. Each cave home had only one opening, angled to maximize light entry. Other European cities offer distinct historical insights through their infrastructure and landmarks. In Bologna, Italy, a window on Via Piella reveals the Canale delle Moline, squeezed between buildings. The municipal tourism organization describes this view as "little Venice," but the scene better illustrates the city's economic past than its resemblance to a lagoon. At the end of the 12th century, water from the Reno and Savona rivers was brought into the city via two artificial canals. This system powered numerous water wheels driving silk processing plants and mills. Production was linked to side canals created by weirs and flow redirection. Much of this canal network was covered between the early 20th century and the post-war period, making current views rare glimpses of former arrangements. Openings on Via Oberdan and Via Malcontenti reveal other parts of the water network often missed during standard walks under the arcades. In Florence, the bronze boar statue known as Porcellino stands near the Mercato Nuovo market. Although called a pig, the sculpture depicts a wild boar. Visitors touch its snout, a tradition associated with luck. The ritual involves rubbing the nose, placing a coin in the mouth, and dropping it. If the coin falls through the grate where water drains, it brings good fortune. The snout is noticeably shinier than the rest of the body due to constant touching. A replica stands in the square, while the original 17th-century work by Pietro Tacca is housed in the Stefano Bardini Museum. The fountain space has a long commercial history, once selling silk and expensive fabrics, later straw hats, earning the market the alternative name Mercato della Paglia. Today, visitors find leather goods and souvenirs there. In Porto, Portugal, the entrance hall of Sao Bento railway station features extensive tilework by Jorge Colaco. Approximately 20,000 painted tiles depict Portuguese history and daily life. A colored band displays the evolution of transport methods chronologically up to the arrival of the train. Large historical scenes spread across the walls, including the arrival of King John I in Porto with Philip of Lancaster. Smaller panels show regional life. The station was built in the early 20th century on the site of the former Sao Bento de Ave-Maria monastery, retaining its name. Architect Marques da Silva designed the glass and iron structure. Travelers are advised to consider insurance options for unexpected medical issues or emergencies in unfamiliar environments.