If you plan to visit Matera, a must-read is “Christ Stopped at Eboli,” by Carlo Levi. It is an account of his exile, for anti-fascist activity, to a small village near Matera (nothing to do with Jesus). His tale of the culture and poverty of the people in that prewar era is a real eye opener.
Posted by
Sapulpa, OK, USA
6289 posts
It's a powerful book. I read it years ago, and plan to read it again before our 2021 trip to Italy, which includes (we hope) the RS Best of South Italy tour. Yes, the tour goes to Matera.
Posted by
Tampa, FL
545 posts
Interesting, thanks. I searched for it in my library, the book is not there, but there's a DVD movie from about 1979. Has anyone seen that?
Posted by
172 posts
We took that tour a few years ago. It is really fabulous and Matera was one of the many highlights! An amazing place and was grateful to visit it on a tour. Hope you have a wonderful time and thanks for the tip on the book.
Posted by
Tampa, FL
545 posts
Thought I would update my previous post on this thread to say I watched the movie “Christ Stopped at Eboli” and I highly recommend it. It was very moving and powerful, but in a low-key way. It's set during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War that happened 1935-1937. Now I need to find the book!