Today, these underground residences ... Visitors to Matera can follow metal walkways through an enormous 16th-century cistern complex under the main plaza, with chambers some 50 feet deep and ...

or the underground cistern, which was also carved from the tufa rock. It was created in the 16th century to collect rainwater for the citizens of Matera, and while it's no longer in use ...

One of the most impressive parts of the city is the Gravina canyon, where homes appear to spill down the cliffside.

Sat upon a limestone mountain far from any running water, Matera has for centuries used an immense underground network of canals linked to a huge cistern that collects rainwater... which you can visit ...