Monday, February 23, 2015

Casa grotta

 Inside a cave dwelling in Matera, this is clean and fresh but in reality it is not. It is usually smelly and dirty because they bring the animals inside and kids are sick with malaria and/or dysentery. The stuffing for the mattress is straw. Everyone lives in here, adults, children and babies.

 The kitchen with niches for things, there are air vents and chimneys.
 There is a water source near the kitchen where rain water is captured and stored.
 They bring their animals in at night, it could include some pigs too.

Today these same hovels are being renovated for private homes with sewer systems and other modern amenities and some are now hotels and restaurants. At one time these hovels became so unhealthy that the Italian government moved all thee 15,000 residents out to be resettled in the new upper village. Today some 60% of the sassi have been renovated. Matera has UNESCO world heritage site designation and is European culture capital of 2019!

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