The Cats of Matera

We are cat people. I like dogs well enough, too, but I really love kitties. Even four years after our two faithful felines died, it still feels strange to have a cat-less household. Woody and Winston had been our four-legged kids for 17 years before going to Kitty Heaven, where they are surely snuggling on my grandfather’s lap.

So, apart from our fascination with Matera’s unique history and architecture, and the fact that lots of people there resemble some of my own family, we also love it because it is a cat town. We have seen more of them lolling around the Sassi than we have encountered anywhere else in Italy. They also are pretty mellow and friendly; they don’t scamper away immediately like most of the kitties we encountered in Ascoli.

They are real cuties, too. They perch on the walls, pose on planters, and snooze on rooftops. One more reason to love Matera in our book!