Janice Therese Mancuso

Matera, in Basilicata, e i suoi “sassi” hanno fatto delle sue origini preistoriche un capolavoro cinematografico “La passione di Cristo” diretto da Mel Gibson nel 2004.  Oggi alcune delle grotte preistoriche sono state trasformate in abitazioni, gallerie d’arte, hotel, e ristoranti.  Per ulteriori informazioni sulla città, visitate www.sassiweb.it/matera e www.sassidimatera.it.

Released in 2004, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ brought the town of Matera, in the region of Basilicata, into the movie spotlight again. Forty years earlier, Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini filmed his religious epic The Gospel According to St. Matthew in the same historic city. In addition to the subject of the film, both ending with the resurrection of Jesus, the productions have other similarities – Gibson chose to use Aramaic and Latin dialogues, while Pasolini used dialogue only spoken from the bible; and Gibson wanted his movie to have the stark contrast of a Caravaggio painting, while Pasolini chose the natural contrast of sunlight and shadow.

Pasolini and Gibson chose Matera because it closely resembles Jerusalem; Matera hasn’t changed much from its prehistoric beginnings. Then, caves were carved out of the side of a hill. Over the years, the caves evolved with society and the town grew with canals bringing water to the homes and roads leading to houses built upon houses. The population continued to grow, though, requiring more than the ancient city could provide. In the early 1950s, prompted by the attention of the living conditions mentioned in Carlo Levi’s Christ Stopped at Eboli, the Italian government offered the inhabitants new homes in outlying districts of the town. The ancient city, Civita, was nearly abandoned, but still well preserved.

While Pasolini was making other films, he scouted for locations for filming The Gospel, and the government action to move those living in the cave houses to other homes may have led him to Matera. Pasolini chose to shoot the film in black and white and create a documentary style movie known as cinema verite. He closely followed the Book of Matthew, using the scenery and cinematography to create a realistic tone to the movie. The film received several awards and was acclaimed as the most honest representation of the crucifixion of Christ.

Gibson used the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, when he wrote the script. Emmerich, a visionary and nun who was beatified in 2004 by Pope John Paul II, wrote a vivid account of the last days of Jesus. Gibson’s film was nominated and received numerous awards including the 2005 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Movie Drama.

In 1993, Sassi di Matera, Stones of Matera, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a perfect example of a cave settlement of ancient civilizations. In 2007, the name of the World Heritage Site was changed to “The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera;” rupestrian meaning made from rocks. Matera has one of the largest concentration of churches within the city.

The city is divided into three sections – Civita, the center and oldest section; Sassi Caveoso, the more primitive cave homes; and Sassi Barisano, the area of reconstructed cave homes. The cave homes were built from the top of the hill down, and, reminiscent of the first lodging of the holy family, the inhabitants shared their living quarters with their animals.

Today, Matera is a popular tourist site, and the town is under renovation with many of the caves being converted to hotels, restaurants, other businesses, and even residences. Some caves have become art galleries and there is talk of a cultural museum and bringing WiFi to the entire town.

Through thousands of years, the people of Matera kept the traditions of the city carved from rock alive. Their hope and determination – their passion – has enabled Matera to experience its own rebirth.

For more about Matera visit www.sassiweb.it/matera and www.sassidimatera.it

Janice Therese Mancuso is the author of Con Amore, a culinary novel, and founder of Thirty-One Days of Italians, an educational program to promote Italian and Italian American history, culture, and heritage. For more information, visit http://home.earthlink.net/~31italians/, www.jtmancuso.com, or contact her at jtmancuso@earthlink.net.