GENERAL INFORMATION 

ABOUT MATERA

Matera is one of the most interesting, unusual and memorable tourist destinations in Italy. In the remote southern region of Basilicata (also called Lucania), still little-visited by foreign travellers, it is a town famous for its extensive cave-dwelling districts, the sassi. Curious visitors can stay in caves, wander the lanes alongside the picturesque cave-filled cliffs, and learn the history of this fascinating place.

The caves of Matera had been inhabited for centuries; some humble and some smarter residences, but by the early twentieth-century the area was a by-word for poverty. Until the 1950s hundreds of families were still living crowded into cave-houses here. The squalor and malaria-ridden conditions became a national scandal and finally the cave residents were moved - by law - to modern buildings on the plateau above. By the 1980s the abandoned caves of Matera were no longer scandalous, but fascinating reminders of the past. A few rather more well-to-do residents moved back and renovated old cave houses. In 1993 the town was made a UNESCO World Heritage site, for being "the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem". And ever since, Matera has become steadily more popular as an off-the-beaten-track tourist destination. More and more old cave-houses are being converted into comfortable modern dwellings, into hotels, B&Bs and restaurants. You can take guided tours of the sassi and visit historic reconstructions of cave life. Matera was the one of the filming locations for Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ, with shots showing the sassi and the gorge below

Conference Venue - Palazzo Viceconte

Badge

An identification badge will be delivered by e-mail to participants and their registered companions: it must be printed and shown at the accreditation desk and exhibited during conference days to get admittance to the conference rooms and all other events.

Language

Official language is english. 

For booking please contact:

ALLMEETINGS
Tel.  +390835256592 
e-mail: segreteria@allmeetingsmatera.it

HOW TO REACH THE CONFERENCE VENUE

By plane	The nearest Airports are Bari Palese 60 km - Brindisi Airport 140  km  A Shuttle buses to and from Matera are available (please contact AllMeetings Agency)
By train	The Bari - Matera railway line is run by the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane. The scenic journey takes around an hour and a half. Trenitalia (click here) and Italotreno (click here) have recently started a shuttle service from Salerno railway station to Matera city  and return, with comfortable buses whose timetables and tickets match high speed trains travelling to and from  Italian main railway stations.
By car	From the Tyrrhenian coast: Take the Salerno - Reggio Calabria. Follow the signals to Potenza. Then drive to Metaponto on the SS407 "Basentana" Matera near Ferrandina Scalo. From the Adriatic coast: Following the highway Bologna-Taranto exit Bari Nord. Continue to the industrial area, for Altamura-Matera, that is, the SS 96 and SS 99. From Calabria and Sicily: Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway. Exit at Sibari and take the SS 106 to Taranto. Take the exit Matera, near Metaponto. From Salento: The easier way expects to exceed Taranto, and proceed along the SS 106 until the exit Matera near Metaponto.
By bus	There is a new bus service extra-urban low-cost FLIXBUS. Booking on  FLIXBUS. The bus service Marino connect Matera to Milano, Ancona, Bologna, Chianciano, Fiuggi, Napoli, Novara, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Sassuolo ed Urbino, and other foreign cities. The bus service Marozzi and Liscio connect Matera to Roma, Firenze, Pisa e Siena.