For the 20th edition of the MOC Championship we have chosen a destination that will surprise and challenge even the most experienced: in 2025, after eight years, PWT Italia returns to Matera, already the venue of the Championship in 2013.
Picture: www.viaggiosenzascalo.it
Matera’s cross-shaped layout is thought to have been conceived in function of its defence against raids from outside. The dwellings carved into the rock of the Sassi not only offered shelter, but also a strategic advantage in case of attack. The Sassi’s maze of narrow, intricate streets also made access difficult for enemy armies.
Entering the city without ever having been there is definitely not for beginners: the streets of Matera will spare no one, not even those who study it carefully on dry land.
But let us go into detail about what it really means to run in Matera.
The Sassi di Matera are, properly speaking, the two most famous districts of the small town, the feature that makes it such a unique and fascinating place. They are a complex of ancient buildings and architecture carved into the rock.
Their history is thousands of years old: the first evidence of settlements dates back 9,000 years. Over the years, the Sassi have been inhabited by different peoples, who have shaped them and made them their own according to their ever-changing tastes and uses.
Today Matera is one of the most impressive and characteristic places in existence, but looking back to the past its reputation has not always been so positive. In the 20th century, the condition of the buildings became so precarious and difficult to maintain that many were left abandoned to their own devices; this meant that, until the 1950s at least, the Sassi were often linked to poor living conditions, and consequently were despised, considered a symbol of decay and unhealthiness.
Picture: www.viaggiosenzascalo.it
It was only from the 1960s and 1970s that the city was ‘reborn’: people began to appreciate the uniqueness of the place, and interest grew in enhancing it from a cultural point of view. The turning point came in the 1980s, when the recovery project began and UNESCO recognised Matera as a World Heritage Site (1993).
Today, Matera is a popular destination for tourists from all over the world, who come to admire its unique charm and inimitable character. For us at PWT, having the opportunity to be able to organise an event like the MOC in this city is a privilege we hold in high regard.
Join us in our efforts to bring value to these places so rich in history and humanity.
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