Architettura, cinema e memoria: un secolo di narrazioni su Matera

Over the last century Matera repeatedly transformed itself within the collective imagery. The core of the debate is represented by Sassi, a millennial site of peasant civilization, displaced since 1952 after being considered by the gov- represented by Sassi, a millennial site of peasant civilization, displaced since 1952 after being considered by the government an unhealthy and shameful living place. UNESCO recognition in 1993 and the European Capital of Culture in 2019 have initiated a process of re-appropriation of the cultural heritage. Cinema and the arts have a specific role during this peculiar course. The present contribution aims to investigate how the simultaneous action of international protection, mega events and communication tools over the past decades has changed the models of progress towards a recovery of memory. Shedding a new light on the historical heritage has led to the enhancement of abandoned architecture, with an important impact on the use, management and restoration of the heritage itself, in which the population has become a direct interpreter of its own history.