Retire Early
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Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler
In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age
of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this
financially independent lifestyle, they invite you
to take advantage of their wisdom and experience. |
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The
Domenico Ridola National Archaeological Museum
Matera, Italy
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
Currency Converter
The Museo Nazionale di
Matera is actually not a single museum. It is part of a unified museum system
that combines three separate locations in Matera, Italy.
The one we visited in the
main section of
Historical
Matera was the Domenico Ridola National Archaeological Museum, which was
founded in 1911.
Ridola practiced medicine,
rose up to the level of Senator in his civic life, and donated his significant
archaeological collections to the Italian state.
This museum offers a full
range look at prehistoric times to the current era of what is now known as
Matera.
Domenico Ridola National Archaeological
Museum
Just down the street from
our apartment,
this was an easy place to walk to.
The museum’s collection has archaeological
finds unearthed in the Matera area, with artifacts dating from the Old Stone Age
all the way through to the 3rd century BC.
There are also some important paintings of
the Sassi, photographs of the residents living there, and some 16th to 18th
century paintings.
Entrance ticket to the Museo
The price of entry to this museum was $6E
each which included an extra Euro to help pay for the damage due to the floods
in Italy.
Of course, my first questions (unexpressed,
of course) were "Which floods in Italy? Where were they located? Who handles the
management of that money you have collected? Who exactly receives that money and
what percent of that money that you collect actually goes towards the payment
for the damage done by floods? Can you prove that the money actually goes
there?"
I did not ask any of these questions, and I
thought it was reasonable to inquire, but we went along quietly instead.
The beautiful gardens at the museum
Many of the museums we visited in Italy had
these lovely gardens.
One could wander around them or sit on a
bench and enjoy the beauty.
The poet Ricco Scotellaro
The next 4 photos are of a painting that
Carlo Levi produced demonstrating the life of the residents of
The Sassi.
The man in the center of this section is the
poet Ricco Scotellaro.
Mr. Scotellaro used his writing to depict the
harsh realities of life in the Italian region of Basilicata, particularly the
poverty and struggles faced by the residents of
The Sassi. His
poems and stories brought a voice to their plight and thereby gathered attention
to their social and economic hardships.
He was well-loved by the local community for
his dedication to them.
Levi's painting with Scotellaro's death
being mourned by the local people
Rocco died at an early age - he was only 30 -
and this section of the painting shows him lying deceased in a cave, surrounded
by the people who mourned him.
Scotellaro gave the people hope with the
uplifting messages in his poems. He celebrated the rich cultural heritage of
Lucania (the ancient name of the town) in his works. Incorporating their dialect
in his poems, he showcased the beauty and depth of the local language. This
resonated deeply with the people of Matera, who felt their identity acknowledged
and valued.
Scotellaro wasn't an outsider looking in. He
lived among the people, shared their experiences, and formed genuine
connections. This authenticity and empathy resonated with the Matera residents,
who saw him as one of their own.
Another section of Levi's painting
The large canvas spans over 60 feet long and
10+ feet high and is divided into 3 main parts. This particular section depicts
daily life in The
Sassi.
Carlo Levi wanted to paint the reality of the
village and he had photographer Mario Carbone come and take his famous black and
white photos. From these photos, Levi was able to produce real faces of the
people there, the actual dress and activities of routine living.
Levi encountered firsthand the extreme
poverty, social injustices, and harsh living conditions faced by the Lucanian
people. The experience deeply affected him and motivated him to document their
struggles.
His scenes are inspired by Lucanian everyday
life, some taken by Mario Carbone’s photos.
His powerful written and artistic portrayals
of the Lucanian people and their plight contributed to the social and political
movements that ultimately led to the government's intervention and the
relocation of residents from
The Sassi in the
1950s.
Some of the men in The Sassi
The Sassi was "Italy's disgrace" for lack of
public assistance. Their poverty and hardship were an embarrassment to the
Italian government and the Post-World-War-II government and other well-meaning
northern Italian politicians quickly intervened.
They forced the dirt-poor, illiterate, often
sick with malaria, Sassi-dwellers to abandon their homes, where they’d always
lived in the same room with all their domestic animals.
From the "kindness" of the minds of
government, these people were moved 15 kilometers away to a brand-new settlement
called “La Martella.” With brand-new comfortable homes, they were not given
the necessary facilities for farming.
Because they could not feed their own and
many had a hard time adjusting, the project was considered a failure. Since this
was so, it caused mass immigration to northern Italy and to Northern Europe.
It wasn't until the 1980s - decades after
The Sassi was all
but abandoned - that the area was renovated and became the tourist location that
it is today.
Photographs by Mario Carbone
Mario Carbone was a photographer and
documentary maker.
He carried out a large
photographic campaign in Basilicata (the newer name for Lucania) in 1960, while
accompanying Carlo Levi (the painter) on the preparatory journey for the large
canvas you saw above.
Carbone had a committed eye
and registered in his dazzling black and white photos what Levi wanted to
incorporate into his painting.
Carbone photo of 2 women having a
conversation In
this Museo Nationale, there is an area that displays Levi's large painting and
then about 70 photographs depicting the Sassi.
Even though many were moved out from their
homes there was still a partial population. Carbone captured their
neighborhoods, the squares, and the alleys. But above all he caught the look of
the people, who still lived in the caves, with their very human daily life.
Woman doing laundry
This photo shows some of the details of daily
life. Notice the clothes pins dangling from this woman's waist as she hangs out
her laundry to dry.
Notice also the narrow walkways between dwellings, the stone paths, and
someone's pet cat.
Medieval painting
In another section altogether are these
Medieval paintings.
This painting is titled "Paliotto d’altare"
and was created by an Italian artist active in the 14th century.
It’s a tempera and gold leaf painting on wood
panel. The name “Paliotto d’altare” translates to “altar frontal” and was likely
created for a church altar.
Archangel Michael slaying evil beasts
Archangel Michael - a warrior angel - is
considered the leader of the angelic army in the war against evil.
He's seen as a powerful protector of humanity
from demonic forces as you see above.
It is a common theme to have St. Michael
represented as casting Satan and the rebellious angels out of heaven.
Here he holds the scales of justice, where
the souls of the deceased are weighed against their deeds. He ensures a fair
judgment and protects the righteous.
The elite playing cards
With all the suffering of the Sassi, and the
warrior angels fighting demons, it was a bit strange to see these elites sitting
down playing games of cards.
In Medieval times, card games were seen as a
way to display wealth and social status. The more elaborate the cards and the
stakes of the game, the higher the social standing of the participants.
The most common card deck used was the
French-suited, standard 52-card pack, which we pretty much still use today.
Many card games required skill and strategy,
and for the elite, these card games offered a mental challenge and a way to test
their wits against others.
Some card games mirrored conditions of war
and politics, offering a safe space to practice strategic thinking and
decision-making, which could be valuable skills in real life.
Except, of course, I can bet that these
people never did their own laundry, grew their own food or lived in a cave...
The Museo Nationale di Matera is worth seeing
and if you are in Historical Matera, it's right on the main street.
Take a walk in and allow 1-2 hours to enjoy
it all.
__________
The Domenico Ridola National Archaeological
Museum
Via Domenico Ridola, 24
75100 Matera (MT) Basilicata, Italy
Tele: +39 0835 310058
Email:
mn-mt@cultura.gov.it
Email:
mn-mt@pec.cultura.gov.it
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