Beyond the enchanted Sassi of Matera, one is absorbed by the charm of the hinterland, with its surprisingly contrasting characteristics. Gazing at the gentle horizon, it is easy to get lost amongst the infinite, meandering hills which have been 
worked by the patient hand of man over time. Every now and again, on the hillside, appears a great old tree, a little country house, or a large farm-house, or some small town rich in history and charm, sheltered by mountain peaks that defended it for years from malaria and the assaults of conquerors.
worked by the patient hand of man over time. Every now and again, on the hillside, appears a great old tree, a little country house, or a large farm-house, or some small town rich in history and charm, sheltered by mountain peaks that defended it for years from malaria and the assaults of conquerors.How many hands worked in these fields and who can imagine how many stories this land holds?
Along the valleys of Bradano and Basento, are the more fertile lands, protected from the south-east by the warm winds of the sea and from the north-west by the rocky peaks and verdant forests of the mountains.Travelling further south, the landscape becomes dryer 
and harsher, almost desert-like.
It is a moving experience to pass from the lush scenery of Stigliano and Accettura, to the arid, ghost-like silence of the ‘Calanchi’, the otherworldly clay formations, found south-west of Matera.
Here the mountains jut out like bare skeletons worn away by landslides and the erosion of time. The land vacillates between the safety and refuge of the mountain-side and the openness and vulnerability at the edge of a canyon.
The sun-bleached houses worn by the wind, are all gathered around the ruins of a castle, its walls suffering from the dryness of the land surrounding it.
Here the mountains jut out like bare skeletons worn away by landslides and the erosion of time. The land vacillates between the safety and refuge of the mountain-side and the openness and vulnerability at the edge of a canyon.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Google
Facebook
Twitter
Digg
del.icio.us
Blogger
Technorati
Rain Concert