The Palombaro Lungo
Palombaro Lungo –
The inhabitants of the Sassi of Matera have always had to solve the water problem by making an effort. Almost every house was equipped with a cistern which was dug inside the house. A canalization system filled the cisterns through a rainwater canalization system that from the hills was channeled towards the ravine. With the increase of the population and the settling on the Plan of the more middle-class families, the administration has decided to create a bigger cistern. The part of the population of the plan used this cistern.
This large cistern was built by joining several underground rooms together. The calcerinite of which the walls are made is a permeable material for which they have been covered with cocciopesto. The cistern has undergone several expansions in order to satisfy a greater demand for water. This reserve was constantly replenished thanks to the water coming from the hills overlooking the historic center of Macamarda, the Nera and Lapillo where the Tramontano Castle stands. The Palombaro was accessible to the population by means of holes placed at the top from where the buckets dropped.
Palombaro along today
The long diver about 18 meters high has fallen into disuse. Since 1920 the Apulian aqueduct has installed fountains from which to obtain supplies. In 1991 the city rediscovered and secured the Palombaro Lungo. Il Palombaro is easy to reach as it is located exactly under Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
