The “Castelvecchio” of Matera. Documentation and analysis of a urban fortress in the apulian-lucanian context

The aim of this study is to investigate the medieval genesis of the town of Matera, by examining a specific area, now known as Castelvecchio, meaning old castle, site of the original fortified urban nucleus, by presenting a reconstruction of the main evolutionary phases, from the Lombard castrum to the Angevin walls, up to the transformation for civil use in the modern and contemporary age.This area is identified today as the top part of the famous Sassi, the historic districts of Matera (UNESCO Heritage), where there are still visible traces of these primitive fortifications absorbed in the complex urban fabric.The site was an ideal observation point for monitoring the surrounding area, while the harsh morphology of the rocky terrain presented optimal conditions to meet defensive needs.The research has led to hypothesize a complex in very close relationship with the geological substrate to be understood as an anthropic transformation of a pre-existing "natural fortification".The military function survived until the late medieval era, when urban development and modern revolutions in the field of defensive architecture led to the need to build other structures in the city and the consequent sale of the area under consideration for civilian use. Particular attention was paid to the relationship of the object in question with the context around, since a castle is not an element in itself, but the node of a network designed to control the territory, in very close relationship with the neighbouring lands and historical road network.