Getting Intimate With Matera

In a city this overwhelming I had to focus on the details

I’m smitten with Matera.

Upon my first glimpse of this 7,000-year-old Italian city — one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the world — my breath sucked in so strongly that I almost had to sit down.

The visual roar from a cacophony of buildings, the lushness of a tree-coated ravine peppered with caves, and the buzzing energy from thousands of people who lived here throughout time overwhelmed me. There was so much to take in my head couldn’t absorb it all.

I had no idea how to visually capture the richness of what I saw in a photograph.

I yearned to remember the jaw-dropping awe I felt when viewing its vastness. So I snapped a few shots. But these initial images weren’t easy on my brain.

There was just too much for my eyes to process. Too much stimulation for them to settle anywhere.

So after a few attempts, I found my focus shifting to what was right around me. I pivoted my head to see what caught my attention.

My eyes widened when I noticed how the sunlight lapped itself around a nearby post. Or how animal bones appeared to be jutting out of the stucco in a structure to be used as support beams.

These details drew me in. So I decided instead of trying to capture the immenseness of this city, I’d begin honing in on its features. I’d take in the city’s flavor in smaller bites. I’d get cozy. I’d get up close and personal.

What did something look like close up?

I inched in and took a peek. And I began clicking away.

I snapped images of undulating tiles on a roof. Of heavily textured doors and weathered windows. Of cleverly designed mailboxes. Of intricately carved drainage holes. The character of this city revealed itself through its colors, patterns, shapes, and textures. Its details charmed me.

It was akin to getting to know a person’s individual traits that when combined together create the whole of their being.

In focusing on the details of this place I began to know it more deeply. A desire grew within me to learn more of its secrets. At times I found myself talking to certain elements.

Not out loud usually. That may have resulted in glances with raised eyebrows in my direction. These conversations took place in my head.

Oh my. Are these really graves?

Who are all of you lying undisturbed for so long beneath this stone? What are your names? What were your lives like? How’d you all end up here in this haphazard pattern of plots?

As I asked questions and moved in closer, I found an intimate connection developing between myself and this city. I may never learn the answers to all of the questions I posed and at first, my conversations felt one-sided.

But as I listened closely with my heart instead of my ears, I began to sense different energies and felt unique sounds emanating from all its features.

I felt the vibration of a city that once held a lively community. I heard the groaning from the heavy struggle of long-ago daily labors and the soft tones of comfort that come from living in a supportive community. I saw people with ingenuity and resourcefulness, using what they had on hand and creating beauty for their eyes to enjoy.

In my initial view Matera, all of these aspects blasted me at one time. A crescendo of sights created so much buzzing I couldn’t parcel out any one piece.

But by shifting focus I become acquainted with each element and their unique contribution to the whole.

And I’m smitten.

kasey sparks, © 2023

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