Paestum and Matera

Sat, 01 May 2010 12:08:47 -0500
Matera, Sassi, Paestum

According to our trusty Lonely Planet guidebook, Matera is one of the oldest towns in the world. Its caves were inhabited as far back as the 8th century B.C., and its sassi--stone houses carved out of the caves and cliffs--were inhabited until the 1950s, when more than half the town's impoverished population lived in them. Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of Christ' was filmed here, which made them the area's leading tourist attraction.

Paestum

Temple of Apollo

Matera Sassi 1

Sassi 2

Sassi 3

Sassi 4