Monopoli

We have returned to a bit of reality in this beach town along the Adriatic. It is gearing up for the summer influx of visitors. Our tiny alley reverberates with sounds from the neighborhood … people walking and talking, kids kicking a ball, kitchen clanking. As with many other places, it closes tight from around one to five in the afternoon. Then it comes alive again with passaggiata and shops opening.

The historical part of town starts here at Porta Vecchia and circles around the port to what is left of the castle and wall that once protected this wide and gentle harbor. Now the rip rap provides an ideal spot for sunning and diving into the cool, blue water of the Adriatic.

Moments in Matera

The light in this town changes from moment to moment, transforming it from an impossible stack of stone houses to a fairytale of light and shadow. Hundreds of hawk nesting boxes have been installed to encourage the local raptor to raise families here as they have for many generations.  Seems the bird favors snacking a particular cricket that is deadly to the grain crop.

At dawn and dusk, the tiny rondine (starlings) swoop and call, catching bugs and generally goofing around.  And a particular walk up behind the Piazza Sedile will reward you with musicians practicing in the music school; soft tones of violin and piano gives a sense of the longevity of this city.

The local residents all seem to understand and appreciate the historical value (a UNESCO site) as well as the fragility of her resurgence. When you see the condition of the cave dwellings from as little as fifty years ago to the immaculate city of today, it is a marvel of collective will and effort.

On the road

Leaving Matera (regretfully) we stopped at a park across the ravine to look back at this remarkable city.  I am trying to get some photos uploaded as there are no words I can use to describe the last two days. It is strange and beautiful and completely memorable.  I am certain to return for further exploration.

A quick stop in Altamura for lunch and a walk through the old city from ancient wall to ancient wall. Then on to our next landing pad at Monopoli where our loose directions had me driving into the old center, getting stuck in a one-way street, and various circles of hell before we were able to secure the car and walk our luggage (ever augmented) into our apartment.  Then up three flights.  Then another flight. Exhausting and exhilarating as ever.

Changing eons

Matera.  This old city is easily the most unique I’ve ever experienced. 

We walked with an experienced local guide today to learn more starting with the caves where people lived until the mid-1950s.  The abysmal conditions are heartbreaking to consider – no water, plumbing or sewer system.  No electricity.  Not unusual to have ten or more people living in one room.  With the family mule, chickens and pigs. It was called “The National Shame”; those of us who have read “Cristo si è fermato ad Eboli” will certainly recognize the story.  But to see the cave dwellings first hand is beyond description.  The last of the citizens were relocated out of the caves in 1953 into housing in the main town.

It is literally carved into rock. Houses, churches, shops all carved from the soft tufo stone left behind when the sea receded. You can still see tiny holes where mollusks were buried in the seabed. There are hundreds of stairs up and down, winding through streets and passageways forming two distinct neighborhoods called “sassi”. The edge of the town drops off into a massive ravine on two sides (la gravina). The old part of town has limited traffic, so it is easy to imagine what it must have been like in ancient times.  There is a stark and ferocious beauty of the scenery.  

Changing regions

Arriving in Basilicata, the next stop is Matera.  This is reported to be the oldest, continuously inhabited city in Europe.  It is perched high on the mountains between Puglia and Basilicata. The outskirts seem much like many others with modern, block construction. But the ancient city is nothing like I have ever seen before.

Crossing regions

Departing charming Lecce, we stopped first in Manduria for a walkabout and lunch. Interesting little town … the seat of Primitivo wine culture. You can see the miles of olive groves turn into miles of grape vines as we proceed west. A surprising little trattoria with a hand written menu and a perfect local vino from the local producer.  Then on to Grottaglie, the local home of the ceramics industry.  There we met Franco, the eighteenth generation of ceramics artists and a charming gentleman.

From an Italian kitchen

Our lovely hosts invited us to dinner with them in their elegant apartment below, Elisabetta, her husband and two children.  We cooked with her and prepared an extravagant meal. She was generous and delightful to get to know with her hard-nosed Tuscan attitude. Learned a lot about the region and Italian life.