Matera was an example of extraordinarily old dwellings even for Italy, not of the decision making process (sorry, that was a bit unclear). The decision was in

Matera was an example of extraordinarily old dwellings even for Italy, not of the decision making process (sorry, that was a bit unclear). The decision was in part health-and-safety related and in part a political issue of "people technically living in caverns makes us look bad" - the idea of fixing the living conditions in the Sassi instead of moving people in newly built houses was far from the sensibilities of the time.