Matera, Land of the Sassi

We are not Sassi

View from our balcony

Hotel courtyard where we mingled 

Ancient Matera hillside (view from our hotel balcony)

Last Thursday we took a regional train from Lecce to Bari, changed trains in Bari, then took another train to Matera and taxied to our hotel.  On the train from Bari I was fortunate to sit next to a gentleman, Carlo, who happens to live in Turin, Italy, near where my grandparents originated from, and we engaged in a lively conversation for the duration of the trip.  His English language skills were fairly good since he'd worked in some sort of liaison capacity between Italy and the US regarding the now extinct Arthur Anderson accounting firm (Coincidentally, I worked on the Enron/Arthur Anderson litigation when I was a paralegal). Carlo explained that he is currently retired but taught economics in Turin.  He later mentioned that his family is very well known in Italy (and joked about his "humble" nature) -- he was quite funny.  One of his relatives founded the liberal Turin newspaper, La Stampa, and served as ambassador to Germany during World War II.

But more famous is Carlos' relative, the La Stampa founder's son, the late Pier Giorgio Frassati, canonized by Pope Paul II in 1990, sainted for his work with youth, the poor, and his social activism.  Pier Giorgio is revered throughout Italy, according to Chiara, our "landlady,"who was astounded to learn that we'd conversed with a relative of the Pier Giorgio.  You meet the most interesting people on trains.

Sondra, Douglas, Caryl and Shirleen at a cafe near our hotel.

Matera is now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site:  "This is the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem. The first inhabited zone dates from the Palaeolithic, while later settlements illustrate a number of significant stages in human history."

Known as the "town of the Sassi," Matera was once covered in forests and vegetation, and an adequate supply of water was channeled through deep carved stone ditches into cisterns. An abundance of natural caves provided shelter, and as the community grew, the extremely soft limestone could easily be carved out into additional structures.

Over the centuries urbanization was disrupted by invasions from the Byzantines, Longobards, Normans, Arabs, Slavs and Aragonese. After the fall of the Roman empire, the vacated population began to return and build new structures on top of existing buildings. Rock-hewn churches emerge out of hillsides decorated with Byzantine frescoes and exotic decorations.  It is impossible to describe the awesome timeless beauty of such a place. In the nearby town of Altamura, human skeletal remains have been dated at 250,000 years old. 

According to WIKI:  The Sassi are houses dug into the calcarenitic rock itself. Many of these dwellings are really only caverns, and the streets in some parts of the Sassi often run on top of other houses. The ancient town grew up on one slope of the ravine created by a river that is now a small stream. "

In the 1950s, the government of Italy forcefully relocated most of the population of the Sassi to areas of the developing modern city. Riddled with malaria, the unhealthy living conditions were considered an affront to the new Italian Republic of Alcide De Gasperi. However, people continued to live in the Sassi, and according to the English Fodor's guide:  Matera is the only place in the world where people can boast to be still living in the same houses of their ancestors of 9,000 years ago.

Until the late 1980s this was considered an area of poverty, since many of these houses were, and in some cases still are, uninhabitable. Current local administration, however, has become more tourism-oriented, and it has promoted the regeneration of the Sassi with the aid of the European Union, the government, UNESCO, and Hollywood. Today there are many thriving businesses, pubs, and hotels there, as described in a May 2015 New Yorker magazine article.

Photo Left:  Our guide said that this opening in the cave had indentures for "curtain rod." Curtains helped block the breezes, he said.  I wondered about the other large openings adjacent. .. 

Photo Below:  Walking up and down the many steep and winding roads can be challenging - Doug bravely managed despite a swelling knee and foot pain.  We headed up to the lovely interconnected levels of the historic commercial piazzos and found a local gelateria to revive us.  We knew that Caryl's day would be incomplete without a testing of the flavors--and the rest of us were willing to go along :-).  

We found the international presence in Matera -- shopkeepers, craftsmen, restaurant owners and travelers to be delightful.  It is an exceptionally friendly city.

We ducked into a cafe to avoid a sudden downpour and enjoy some local treats -- and marveled at the fine interior design.  The whimsical lighting fixtures complemented large intricately incised metal wall panels, chairs and other furnishings.  Everyone agreed that Matera is worth another visit.  

For an in depth history:  http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/04/27/a-cave-with-a-view

Ciao for now!

Miscellaneous Photos

Hello--Friendly, curious bird in the park

More curious birds: Sondra, Shirleen and me near the Roman Amphitheater in Lecce.  The 3rd Century A.D. Roman ruins here were discovered  in the early 20th century beneath buildings that were removed for development of this central location.  The city chose not to unearth the entire ampitheater because an old church and other significant buildings sit atop  more than half of the ampitheater.  During the Roman occupation legions of soldiers stationed in the area would attend "games" here involving animals, slaves . . . other bloody encounters.  The theatre, which is located in the main plaza of the historic center, originally seated 25,000.   It is now used as a venue for opera and other entertainment.

View from my rooftop studio.  I accidentally woke just in time to see the September 28th lunar eclipse from here
at 4:20am - former convent beyond the garden

Harbor in Brindisi--Sondra and I did a fast purview of the town while awaiting the arrival of  Doug, Shirleen & Caryl, whose flight arrived at the Brindisi airport

Church of Santa Chiara in Lecce--I like these accidental compositions--taken as I stepped off the curb.

Romanesque  Basilica di Santa Caterina d'Allesandria, c. 1390,  Galatina, Italy (wonderful interior frescoes by a student of Giotto--but no photos allowed inside)

Waiting for the regional train to Gallipoli

Beach in Gallipoli where we traveled twice for swimming in the warm salty waters of the Ionian Sea

Magestic Leuca, The Southern Tip of Italy's Boot-Heel

Grotto with crystal clear water along Italy's southernmost Ionian Sea Coast

I have been obsessed with the idea of traveling to the southernmost point of the heel of Italy's boot since arriving here in early September.  What would it be like to gaze across that expanse of Mediterranean Sea toward Greece and Africa where the Ionian and Adriatic Seas meet?

Traveling is so much fun when you can see through the eyes of newly arrived companions. Sondra's family and my friends Shirleen, Doug and Caryl, arrived in Lecce last week and we have been acquainting them with the local sites now familiar to us.  After consulting the weather forecast we determined that the winds and weather would be fine for a trip to the sea .  The "tourist" buses that travel to the coasts regularly have now stopped for the season, so we hired a driver to take us to the acclaimed town of Leuca and Santa Maria di Leuca and booked a boat for exploring the coastline.      

Seafaring Crew, including former Navy man, the incomparable Doug Sturtz, who entertained us with stories of stormy sea passages                       

Our captain steered us close to the rocky shoreline to provide views of the villas and landscape landed upon by earlier saints, crusaders, Greeks, Turks and explorers of the ages.  Leuca was among the two locations along the main navigational routes from Africa and the Middle East to the upper Adriatic. The yellow highlighting below references our main destination.

History:  Navigational notes concerning the area in times past:  In the winter period, long-lasting and strong southern winds blow from the direction of North Africa towards the Alps and through the Strait of Otranto, bringing black rain clouds, lightning and thunder. During Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when ships with sails crossed the Adriatic from the Balkan to the Apennine Peninsula and vice versa via the route from Durrës (Durrachium) in present-day Albania to Cape Santa Maria di Leuca in Italy, where the width of the Adriatic is narrowest, often would bring breaking, storm-induced waves that forced the vessel to change its course and set sail to the open seas to the north. This change in the sailing route was perilous for many old ships, so if by chance they managed to avoid the risk of sinking in the open seas, storm-induced waves would shatter them, smashing them against the mainland with great force. Few were lucky enough to sail into the sheltered anchorage of the island of Lokrum near Dubrovnik . . .  three major shipwrecks, of three famous shipwreck survivors who managed to save themselves by reaching the Dubrovnik mainland are: St Paul the Apostle in 60 A.D., famous English king Richard the Lionheart in 1192, and the founder of the Franciscan order, Francis of Assisi in 1212 and 1219.

 Luckily for us, the seas were calm and we did not have an unplanned landing in Dubrovnik.

                                                    Near the entrance to the harbor in Leuca.

   

Brave mariners

Sadly, we do not speak Italian and our driver, Dario, does not speak English.  For this trip, I was situated in the front seat with the driver and smiled a lot in lieu of attempting to verbalize . As the day progressed, my confidence climbed as we twisted along the narrow cliff roads adjacent to the blue waters far below that reminded me of Highway 1 in California, a familiar place. 

 I had little to lose, I thought, and decided to ask the driver about an Italian expression I had heard spoken often since our arrival but had not yet looked up in my Italian Dictionary.  The word preceded so many sentences I'd overheard that I figured I should know the meaning.  I looked at Dario and asked what is the meaning of the word, "allore. " He looked at me with an expression of utter horrified disbelief and said, "I smell !!??!"  

Aghast, I vigorously shook my head, "NO, no, no no NO!  

I decided to be silent for a while and let him concentrate on the road.   I  stared ahead wondering how I had gotten it so wrong.  Was it a dialectical difference?  My pronunciation?  I couldn't imagine that all the Italian speaking people I'd been listening to were are going around saying "you smell." 

 I was really confused. 

I speculated about the long history of failed Italian governments and thought I knew the reason. . .  

It was well past lunchtime when Dario said that we would soon be stopping for a seafood meal at a good restaurant owned by people he knew, and in his explanation he used that ubiquitous word that sounded to me like "allore."  I pounced, "THAT's IT !"  Allore!!  That's the word!!  

Oh, he said, "Oh, ALLORA . . .  allora, allora.  Si, si, it means nothing." 

Upon safe return to my studio that evening I located the dictionary and found that allora means "well then."  

Allora.

Leuca

Rock on rock
Meticulous constructions

Fearsome Foursome

Nice real estate overlooking the Adriatic
We sighted Albania and the closest Greek island from near here.

?

Zinzulusa Cave landing near the town of  Castro

http://www.grottazinzulusa.it/zinz2b.html

Much of this region is made up of karst topography, like our Iowa homeland, providing systems of underground tunnels and caves. We toured the Zinsulusa cave, famous for stalactites and stalagmites and protected albino  starfish and other aquatic anomalies.  The tour ends in a very large room they call the "Duomo."

Doug saw two faces in these rocks.  He only had one glass of wine.  Do you see them?  I see one human and one raccoon.

Rugged Adriatic Coast

Arrivederci!

     

     

Cool . . . Clear . . . Water . . . AND Nightlife.

The sun is blazing hot and temperatures have been approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  It's humid on this spit of land between the seas.  Unless we're at a beach dipping into the Adriatic or Ionian Seas, the stony dry interior towns and cities of summertime Puglia (or Apulia)
can be oppressive, even into mid-September. We did, however, happen upon this rare working fountain on a short excursion to Corigliano d'Otranto.

Imagining Three Coins in a Fountain, I flirted with the idea of stepping in and tossing my head back beneath the steady drip of water.  Then I imagined myself coughing up the hefty fine and losing my ride home.  I resisted.  I decided to focus my mind on saner things like what to do the next time a donkey tries to get into the back seat of the car.


                                                      Sondra with new friend:

Corigliano is not accessible by train--and the "tourist buses" that carry people to various towns during the high season ceased operating on September 5th.   Again, we were fortunate that enthusiastic Chaira offered to drive us there in her car.

About the town:  Corigliano d'Otranto is situated in Grecia Salenta, Italian for Salentinian: Greek-speaking land. Inhabited by the Griko people, it is an ethnic Greek minority in the southern peninsula of Italy consisting of eleven towns that formed a union in 1966 to preserve and promote the language and culture. The dialect is a variant of Greek that has not been spoken for two centuries but is being revived through research and language instruction at the local schools, and through the publication of books and poetry in the endangered language.
                                                               





(photo at left:  Karla, Sondra & Chiara
in arid Griko land).


(photo above right:  pretty blue-green doors [reminded me of the Adriatic Sea] . . . water . . . water . water).

CORIGLIANO D’OTRANTO:  "According to the opinions of different scholars it probably had Greek or Roman origins or even proto-historic ones, as the finds seem to suggest. It was a Greek colony since the 10th century and the community was deeply influenced by their presence. The Basilian coenobium of San Giorgio, that housed a Greek speaking school for the propagation of Byzantine culture, inspired local cultural life as Greek codes testify. The school fell into decline after the destruction of the Abbey of Casole in Otranto, of which it was a grange. It was owned by different families, until it passed to De Monti family. Giovan Battista De Monti decided to build the defensive works of the town and the imposing castle. Corigliano has a fascinating city centre and remarkable monuments such as the Parish Church dedicated to San Nicola. The building, with traces of Renaissance architecture, was substantially restored in the Eighteenth century. Worth a visit is the Castello de Monti, the fortress that in 1480 put up fierce resistance to the Turkish invasion." (excerpt from online, since we could not find guides who could translate to English--nor could we find English written history sources).  Castle entry photo above right.               Very old courtyard we passed while exploring the town (below left).

And now back to Lecce for Saturday night.  We prepared a very fine Eggplant Parmesan with a side of salad, a dish of local olives and white wine before stepping out into the festive streets at 10pm, We strolled past the now familiar Gate of Napoli, one of the three remaining gates into the historic city near where we are staying.  

The modest gate was built in the 16th century to honor the expected arrival of Carlo V of Spain's visit, but he did not make it a point to ever arrive) -- Pictured below left.  
 

We divas continue to marvel at the exceptional physical beauty of the people of this region. Sophisticated Milan fashion sense has not escaped the attention of southern Italian women, although it is also not unusual to notice a more relaxed stylish dress during the heat of day. Children generally appear to be pampered with the most loving attentions. It is always pleasurable to wander, people watch, absorbing the sounds and scents.

Since watering holes have been on our minds, I should mention that we three have discovered a wonderful cocktail bar, Quanto Basto Lecce on Via Paladini, where the owner, Diego, and his partner, Andrea, painstakingly prepare amazing drinks with a nice selection of alcohol, passion fruit, citrus, herbs, home-made tinctures and  bitters.  I have never seen anything like it.  Each surprising creation is treated with utmost care.  The artist-mixologist's finale often includes a soft spray of mist into the glass canopy from mysterious bottles.  Each glass edge is carefully rubbed with fresh lime, mint, salt or other complimentary touches.  We go there often.  Oh, did I mention that many of the drinks we order are poured over ice and shaken vigorously for what seems a prescribed amount of time by Diego and Andrea in a manner reminiscent of Charo (remember her wild shaking?), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KBiXurSxg8.  Spirits fly high with theatrical flourish.

Recently while ordering drinks at "Basto" one evening Sondra and Karla chatted with another customer who turned out to be a graduate of Luther College in Decorah.  Small world, indeed.

After the buzz of the the bar we meandered past the palazzos to sample sounds from a street event featuring seasoned jazzy young musicians, playing accordion, bass, guitars, sax and trumpet. Bellisimo!!  Finally, we three, grinning like hyenas, padded home to a well deserved sleep.

Musicians and streets pictured below:

 Caio for now!!

Food, Trulli, etc. . .

     We three have adapted well to the local fare:  Abundant fresh tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, seafood, cheeses, spectacular pastries and gelato (Karla's delight).  Sondra has been somewhat successful at restricting her gluten intake despite Lecce's reputation for fine pastries. I am particularly fond of the "pasticciotto," a delicate lemon custard filled pastry, half pie crust and half puff pastry in texture. Fresh delicately flavored seafood is abundant.  We have yet to sample the sea urchins, but have committed to trying them. Fava beans with chicory greens are a healthy and tasty staple.

Last night Chiara escorted us around the walled city to point out the best of the best restaurants, gelato shops and cafes. Her father's family has lived here for three generations (her great grandfather came from northern Italy and chose political exile here in lieu of execution).  Her mother's family has been established here for a very long time.  She knows these maze-like streets like the back of her hand, and although we have been here for almost two weeks, we must frequently refer to our maps or risk ending up at the south gate rather than the west, since streets angle out and around in every random direction .

Like churches here, eateries are abundant and consistently wonderful--it would take months to take in all of them.


The local Primativo del Salento wine is unrivaled, and has become our typical choice for a delicious, rich, dry red. Karla prefers white wines and is still sampling for a favorite, although the Primativo has captured her attention as well.  A little bread, local pecorino cheese, maybe some freshl made mozzarella, a plate of fresh sliced veggies, grapes and melons sometimes with prosciutto and salami . . .
are typical staples well suited to the warm busy days here.  

Mornings often begin with strong Italian cafe latte, a pastry and/or some fruit -- and as Americanos we tend to include our home-cooked veggie omelette or fritatta.  We then depart our quarters on foot, by Chiara's car, or a bus or train to historic sites, beach towns, orchards and vineyards.   In answer to our question about when "Rustico "(puff pastry filled with mozzarella, tomato pulp, oregano, salt, black pepper) is served, without hesitation, Chiara replied, "At 10:00am!."  There is a comical precision about certain things that can be baffling amid this often chaotic culture.  We are adapting to the siesta that begins around 2pm and lasts until after 4:00pm when shops and restaurants re-open.

Antipasto is typical for lunch--and a full dinner is often appreciated at 8:00 or 9:00pm, when the locals pack the narrow stone streets to gather, dine, stroll and shop. 

Another local treat is Friselle, consisting of a  dry flat bread, briefly soaked in water, then garnished with tomatoes, onions, basil, olive oil, etc. OK, I'm rambling.  The point is that the food here is fabulous, fresh, eaten at weird hours and based on plentiful fishing, dairy, olive groves, vineyards, almond orchards, cherries and other sources of local produce. Squsito!  We visited a seaside "hostel" owned by the Catholic Church yesterday, consisting of a common kitchen, gardens and lodging, where people either volunteer or work for pay in providing vegetables and meals to anyone who cares to purchase.  We came home with bags of freshly picked tomatoes, arugula and peppers.

Chiara and her beautiful daughter, Magdelena, arranged a private tour for us of famous Italian singer, Albano Carrisi's, winery and complex near Brindisi (photo of vinter and processing operation at right).

Every day is an adventure here.  On Wednesday morning, our tireless hostess, Chiara, a busy wife, mother of two teenagers and school teacher, called down to our patio from her home above ours and asked if we'd like to go to Alberobello to see the trulli, clusters of  hobbit-like round stone buildings found only in the Itria valley an hour's drive or so from Lecce. For more info about trulli, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trullo .

She would drive us there, she said. How could we refuse?  My photos should provide some sense of the                                                                                               magic of                                                                                     the town.

                                                                              Many of the trulli in Alberobello now exist as cafes and shops catering to tourists, but the town seems better suited as a colony for artists. People from England,we learned, have been purchasing & restoring trulli in the surrounding countryside for use as cottages, B&B's, studios and farm buildings.

We are doing so much more than I can even begin to write about, but these are a few highlights of our days here.  I hope you are all doing well--until we meet again . . .

WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?!!!

Truncated Lecce history . . .

         Duomo Bell Tower--it's top sections are visible from Karla's lovely studio apartment

According to legend, Lecce was founded a century before the war of Troy by Malennio, a king of the Salentines.  It was an important cultural center during the period of Greek colonization, followed by domination by the Romans who fortified the city against possible attacks from Macedonia.  Remains from the Roman period include an amphitheatre capable of holding 25,000 spectators (night photo below below left). Following that period the Normans arrived and established Lecce as a privileged seat for their kings and nobles who contributed splendid buildings and refined customs and manners (which still exist--it remains a remarkably polite culture).

Theatrical performance in the city assumed particular importance, with roots going back to the Greek settlement. The University of Lecce contains a library of more than 8,000 theatrical volumes, the only specialized collection of its kind in the world, according to a 1980 tourism pamphlet edited by Mario Adda. Opera is popularly appreciated here, with performances held in the ancient Roman amphitheater (see night photo of empty theatre at left).  Architectural & decorative styles range from spartan to baroque, offering visual contrasts at every turn.

Lecce is the capital of the Baroque.  The Santa Croce Cathedral (left) represents the eccentric style of aristocrats who lived side by side with peasants, tradesmen, craftsmen and others of more practical needs.

I haven't counted the number of churches in the city, but they are numerous, typically replete with rows of impressive pillars, mosaics, frescoes, ornate carved ceilings, putti, beautiful statuary, etc.  Today our landlady mentioned that most of the residences & other buildings here in the historic section of the city (including our current quarters) are built upon layers of ancient tunnels, foundations and artifacts. (Duomo & bishop's palace pictured right).

Chiara, our landlady, said that her mother originally owned the property and had at one time begun excavation below her house, but stopped when she learned that all of the underground tunnels in the area connected & lead to the center of the historic town.  For fascinating info regarding Lecce underground findings, go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/world/europe/centuries-of-italian-history-are-unearthed-in-quest-to-fix-toilet.html?_r=0

Does she love it here??

Along our walk home last evening, we enjoyed waltzes and eastern folk tunes played by these talented street musicians, a la flute and accordion.

















Do we love it here?  

What's not to love?