The mysterious almost sacral, connotation of the town of Matera brought Pier Paolo Pasolini to place here the set of "Il Vangelo secondo Matteo" (Gospel according to St Mattew) which made Matera an unforgettable holy place and, finally, Mel Gibson's "The Passion" which has made Matera an international
tourist place. Sassi, which make the town so fascinating, have been defined by the Unesco as an archaeological and natural park of the craggy civilization, an universal patrimony of art that makes Matera
so enchanting.
The ancient Greek colonies of Metaponto, Nova Siri and Policoro and the medieval towns of Tricarico and Miglionico are also interesting under the historical-cultural point of view.
Sandy coastline, crystalclear sea and wonderful pine woods characterized the seasides of the jonic coast (Metaponto, Pisticci, Scanzano Jonico, Policoro, Rotondella, Nova Siri).