The city of Matera and its ‘Sassi’ (Italy): an opportunity to broadcast geology in the European Capital of Culture 2019

Matera is an ancient city located at the top of Italy's high heel that has been anointed the European Capital of Culture 2019 and which, since 1993, has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The close relationship between the urban development of the old town and its geology offers the unique opportunity to discover, in one shot, the cultural and geological history of a wonderful city that is often left out of the spotlight. As a corollary to this, the rupestrian old town of Matera and nearby areas are known also for having been the location of several movies (e.g. Bond 25 ‘No time to die’). Accordingly, media and tourists alike are showing a growing interest in Matera.