Matera 2019

Imagine Pirro del Balzo castle, the lordly villas in Piazza Orazio, Piazza Municipio with its majestic cathedral, L’Incompiuta, the Hebrew site of the catacombs and the Paleolithic site becoming, for a period, enormous canvases, boundless screens crossed by magnificent, dreamy forms dedicated to passers-by. In the meantime, the orchestra plays music, a musical tale that blends narrating voices with mute tracks. It is a wonderful historical fresco, participated in, where each piece - inanimate stones that guard time as much as the flesh-and-bone citizens - plays its part.

In this scenario, ancient and new props live together and strengthen each other in turn: technology dresses the city and transforms Venosa into an enormous, elegant stage, but this would not be possible without the counterpoint of the accepted backdrop, the oldest buildings, the urban stratification of the epochs, the fulls and empties drawn by the city and its growth.

This is our vision. An old tale narrates by contemporary instruments, the citizens gathered for a celebration, a kaleidoscope of lights, sounds and colours to celebrate Matera, Europe, the community of visitors, and bring under the spotlight a beauty that for most of the time remains hidden.

Co-produced by
Municipality of Venosa 
for Capital for one day