We the Italians April 18, 2016 - 78 | Page 29

tH # 78 APRIL 18 , 2016 The Murgia National Park was established in 1990 with the name of Parco Regionale Archeologico Storico Naturale delle Chiese Rupestri del Materano (Natural Historic Archaeological Regional Park of the Rock Churches of the Matera region). It has been included in the UNESCO World heritage List together with the Sassi di Matera; this is the spectacular Italian rocky landscape which best testifies the ancient relationship between man and nature in southern Italy. glioso in Basilicata, a few kilometres from the border with Apulia, is characterized by a soft rock called "tuff" (the correct name is limestone), which has played an essential role in the shapes taken on by the landscape, by drawing cliffs, gorges and caves used by man who settled here since prehistoric times. The construction technique was that described as "architecture in negative"; i.e. not actually building, but removing matter from the rock (by digging), in order to actually obtain Man and the land architectural structures. That is why The park, which is located between the Parco della Murgia presents Pathe towns of Matera and Montesca- laeolithic caves (Bat Cave), villages WE THE ITALIANS | 29 www.wetheitalians.com