Matera is a city of fascinating and complex history, in 1993 UNESCO declared the Sassi of Matera a World Heritage Site, the 6th site in Italy in chronological order, the first in the south. On October 17, 2014 Matera was designated European Capital of Culture for 2019.Matera is at the center of an incredible rocky landscape that preserves a great heritage of culture and traditions, and is the venue for exhibitions of great national and international prestige. The fascination of this beautiful city has also reached Hollywood, as Mel Gibson’s "The Passion of The Christ" was filmed there in 2004 and this year the new James Bond film will take place filming in Matera.