[December, 2011] We went to Matera in Basilicata in south Italy.
It is famous for its cave houses called Sassi.
I had heard about this and seen some photos of it, but when I saw it myself, it was a great surprise.
Here it seems that people have lived since ancient time, but around 8th century on, monks started living and making cave churches.
Then ordinary people started living there, building living spaces using the caves.
In 1950s, the Italian government ordered people there to move out because of the lack of hygiene, but in 1993, it was recognised as World Heritage by UNESCO.
I visited Cappadocia in Turkey, and Matmata in Tunisia in the past where there are also strange houses, but here in Matera, it is very different from them and I got very excited!
