From Matera to Mottola through Metaponto

Last week I have been travelling around the south of Apulia.

I have touched few locations of Basilicata as well.

Of course, I have been with my beloved Lucia.

I started my journey from Matera, where I caught up with Raffaele, tourist guide as well as cinema location guide, as he points out in his business card.

Raffaele (pictured) has led us through some of the most extraordinary rocky churches of which Matera proudly boasts.  

“We materani are different from Apulians. Whereas Apulians have sense of business, people of Matera has always remained attached to their traditional economy of sheep-rearing”.

Things are quickly changing, though.

Tourism is whirlingly growing since Matera was appointed European capital of culture 2019.

However, foreigner tourists have begun to come over since Mel Gibson shot The Passion among the rocky sites of Sassi.

We have visited on our own the rocky church of San Nicola dei Greci, with its marvellous Byzantine frescoes.

I start talking with a Dutch tourist who, like me, seems enchanted by the Byzantine art.

“Yesterday, I have visited the museum of Metaponto (Magna Grecia). I strongly recommend you to visit it” he says.

Lucia and I leave Matera at our back, heading straight to Metaponto as suggested by our Dutch friend.

I have discovered that Metaponto was one of the most extraordinary site of Magna Grecia.

Pythagoras, the well known philosopher, sought refuge in Metaponto after having been chased by Cesiade,  tyrant of Kroton.

While visiting the museum of Metaponto, I realize how rich of artifacts this museum is.

One employee of such Museum tells us of her frustration due to the lack of consideration of National politicians for such an important museum, who currently has no archaeologists among his staff.

“Since the archaeologist De Siena has retired, this museum carries on with no archaeologist among its employees”.

This is a shame for Bel Paese, who has the highest number of UNESCO sites on worldwide basis.

After having seen the Museum, we move few hundred metres further to watch the archaeological park and the tavole palatine, wonderful examples of a prosperous Hellenistic civilisation.

The sun is fading.

It’s time to resume our voyage.

This time we drive towards Mottola, a town in the province of Taranto, famous for its rocky churches, among which there is the so-called Cappella Sistina of rocky churches: the church of St. Nicola (11^th century).

The day after we have an appointment arranged at the tourist office with Maria, local tourist guide (pictured).

At 9 o’clock we are at office, waiting few more tourist who will join the crew.

The church is in the countryside.

The guide has no car, therefore, I invite her to get on my car.

“Once, I have conducted to this church a large number of Russian tourists. Then, they asked me to let them  celebrate the mass. I found their rites moving” the guide says. 

In order to reach the church of St. Nicola, we have to step down few stairs carved out from the rock.

Once the door is open, I feel shivers at my back.

The frescoes are so vivid, so well kept.

The pantocrator has a so intense sight.

His eyes with his big pupils seems capturing me.

I well understand now the comparison with the Michelangelo’s Cappella Sistina.

Those like me who adore Byzantine art painted in rocky churches, must pay great recognition to Pietro Parenzan, a speleologist who firstly have highlighted few decades ago the importance of rocky civilisation, of which such church belongs to.

I feel so fulfilled.

I have seen so much beauty today.

We have spent the night in Mottola, eating a tasty pizza in the main plaza.

However, this is just a small detail.

The next post will concern a new chapter about the Byzantine art of rocky churches of Massafra.

Peace, Love and Culture

art made in Altamura

A couple of days ago, while walking along C.so Federico II di Svevia in Altamura, I came across Stefania Digioia, a young local painter.

Stefania is a talented artist. 

She holds a permanent exhibition in her shop called laboratorio SD.

It seems to me that Stefania has got inspired by the so-called street art.

“You know” I confess “when I first saw the Banksy’s works, I felt shivers down my back”.

Stefania has attended the Liceo artistico “Carlo Levi” in Matera. 

Then, she got the degree in Accademia di Belle Arti of Rome.

“I have won two grants” Stefania says “the first allowed me to visit the Biennale in Venice. The second one  to travel to Berlin, of which I have visited musuems and gallery.”.

She adds: “I am very much interested in people, especially those who have suffered for their sexual orientation, like the LGBT".

Stefania loves her roots. She enjoys to live in the south of Italy: “the quality of life here is high compared to big cities such as Rome or Milan”.

The painted chairs are one of her most successful works.

“From my point of view, the chair is one of the symbol of the south. People still use to sit down on the chair outdoor, either on balcony or just outside the courtyard”. Stefania explains.

Stefania is very much appreciated by foreigner buyers.

As result of this, she will likely move to Matera, a city which is just 10 miles far. 

Actually, Matera is becoming one of the main Italian touristic destination, having recently been designated as European capital of culture 2019.

The leitmotiv of her artistic research is memory.

Stefania reveals: “I went to Auschwitz to make a photo-reportage, even though I have never published or shared those pictures because I felt overwhelmed”.

Stefania believes that there is a lot of to do in our communities, especially dealing with teenagers, who look nowadays completely disoriented.

I ask her what is the secret of happiness. She thinks about it for a while, then, with a smile painted on her face she replies : “Surely, rushing to make money brings to the opposite direction of happiness”.

How true is her statement...

If you wish to find out more about Stefania, please visit her website 

Ceglie Messapica, where the inner city is white like a pearl

Yesterday, I visited Ceglie Messapica for the first
time.

So, I have to admitt that I was highly impressed by its beauty.

I went to Ceglie Messapica to watch the concert of Goran Bregovic, event held within the Ghironda summer festival.

Ghironda is an International festival of arts from the five continents

.

This edition is dedicated to Nelson Mandela.

On the Ghironda web site it’s reported a Mandela’s eloquent quote: “It’s music and dance that make me feel at peace with the world”.

The concert would have commenced at 10 pm, however, I was already there at 7.30 pm. 

The sunshine was still bloody hot, hammering on my poor head.

Indeed, I wished to take pictures of Ceglie before the sunset. When there is the “magic light”, as my English tutor of a documentary course used to call it.

The magic light gives a spectral touch to the Ceglie inner city, which strikes me because is white like a pearl.

People there is very friendly.

While enquirying with the locals where to eat well with little money, two men gave me a lot of tips about.

They were licking their icecreams. The funny thing was that they were so captured by talking that their mouth turned to chocolate.

They looked to me like two kids who did not have a care. They were involuntarily showing me their childish side. It was great…

While walking and taking pictures, I realized that there were lots of turists around, Italians and foreigners. I heard people from Eastern Europe and English as well.

Ceglie Messapica is part of valle d’Itria, one of the most renowned places in Apulia.

Trulli are rightly considered the symbol of valle d’Itria. 

So, Trulli are spread around the countryside of Ceglie  as well.

Last but not least , if you wish to spend your holidays in Ceglie, you have to visit the castello Ducale, built up in the 11^th century, and renewed in the 15^th century.

It is a magnificent building, worth to be visited. 

So, if you wish to come here but you need additional information, do not refrain from giving me a buzz…

If you wish to view more pics, please click here

Take care