Matera in the last few years has undergone an incredible transformation: from being the ‘city of shame’ to reinvent itself, from becoming a UNESCO site to be appointed European Capital of Culture. All this process put Matera on the map for several reasons, giving new opportunities to citizens and changing the image but not the identity of the city.
Matera’s Bid Book suggested that a variety of different ambitions had come together in the coveted title: Europe’s Capital of Culture. What prevails over all differences, however, is a common ground embedded in substantial social capital and a vision of an ‘Open Future’, a design for an urban condition that enables diverse groups to interact intelligently, creatively and productively.