Matera
Italy
Matera is a provincial capital city in the region of Basilicata, in Southern Italy
It was declared European Capital of Culture in 2019, after a harsh competition involving 21 cities in Italy, thus leading to the establishment of the Italian Capital of Culture. Its original settlement lies in two canyons: known as la città sotterranea (“the underground city”), the Sassi, its millenary neighbourhood, were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
Due to poverty and rampant disease, the Sassi were abandoned from the 50s until the 1980s when renewed vision and investment led to the cave dwellings becoming a noted historic tourism destination with a vibrant arts community.
For 2026, the city of Matera has been designated as Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue, continuing to promote and support cultural production in the region through the “Terre Immerse” programme.
ECOC
After 2019, Matera and Basilicata have gained international importance.
For 2026, the city of Matera has been designated as Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue, continuing to promote and support cultural production in the region through the “Terre Immerse” programme.
The rural region, little known by most and the oldest inhabited settlement in the world, is now “on the map”. It took an immense effort, which ultimately won the initial scepticism and proved that it is possible to overcome incredibly complex challenges. Matera 2019 hosted international artists and attempted the development of a set of best practices for cultural production. All the processes, activated by the title, led to the formation of entrepreneurial supply chains of culture and tourism, which blended with European and global ones. This was our 2019: 2447 events spanning across 16 different disciplines.
The Organization
Matera Basilicata 2019 FoundationThe Matera Basilicata 2019 Foundation, the same organization that delivered the ECoC program, continues to operate in the field of creativity and culture with the aim to:
- promote and support the development of creative, artistic, and cultural activities in the city of Matera and at a regional level in tune with the strategies of local authorities and in collaboration with the world of university, research, and business;
- consolidate and strengthen the national and international position of Basilicata and Matera as a platform of cultural innovation that creates relationships, exchanges, and projects in Europe and the World;
- foster social inclusion through art and culture.
Who represents the city
Rita Orlando is Director General of the Matera Basilicata 2019 Foundation. An architect and cultural manager, she has extensive experience in the design and management of territorial development processes, urban regeneration, and cultural innovation, gained in both national and international contexts.
She has been part of the Matera 2019 team since 2014, playing key roles in the successful bid and in the delivery of the European Capital of Culture programme, with a focus on social innovation, artistic residencies, and cultural planning. Since 2016, she has been Head of the Open Design School, a participatory and transdisciplinary design laboratory and official partner of the New European Bauhaus initiative.
Throughout her career, she has coordinated numerous complex projects, including I-DEA – The Archive of Archives and the conversion of Cava del Sole into a venue for large-scale performing arts events. She currently oversees national and European projects of the Foundation, including Fantastico Medioevo and Matera Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2026.
In parallel, she works as a consultant and lecturer in the field of cultural management and coordinates territorial development programmes in the Euro-Mediterranean area.
Contact
Via L. La Vista, 1
segreteria@matera-basilicata2019.it
www.matera-basilicata2019.it/en/
+39 0835 256384
