Sassi di Matera

Inhabited since 7000 BC, the Sassi di Matera comprise two districts—Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano—in the city of Matera, Basilicata, Italy. These cave dwellings, carved directly into calcarenitic rock, represent one of Italy's oldest continuously inhabited settlements [1][2]. The troglodyte complex features houses, churches, and staircases carved into soft limestone cliffs, creating a unique urban landscape that has been continuously occupied for over 9,000 years [1].