Altamura and Matera vs The Golden Arches

A very long, full day but excellent tour with Francesco Luciano of the ancient, longest continuously lived in commune of Matera and nearby Altamura. To answer the question my title must prompt, these two cities have the distinction in recent years of closing two new McDonalds franchises in their communities!!! They are McDonald’s free! Both have reputations to protect regarding their long-standing traditions of bread making and one of the franchises actually opened next door to them. The citizens supported the local businesses and McD’s closed – love this storyline as much as I abhor the export of our fast food/chain restaurants!

Altamura, a walled city with a long history of different ruling class periods, was brought back to life by an Italian born, German emperor after going dormant (presumably because of a war – no real records exist). Frederick II created a new city that flourished.

On to Matera – which was fascinating. The caves of this city have been inhabited for 9,000 years and the setting (no longer residences) is a UNESCO site. Sited on a ravine, cave dwellings were built one upon another to house large families and their livestock. They farmed nearby. There are rock churches, remarkable water catchment systems that created small neighborhoods that were mutually supportive groups. In the mid-20th century conditions were impoverished and unhygienic enough to prompt the government to evacuate the inhabitants to nearby homes. If I remember right, child mortality was roughly 30%. UNESCO recognition was eventually gained. It was a fascinating lesson.

We returned to Bari with new appreciation for the city thanks to Francesco who is enthusiastic about his town.