Sassi di Matera
Matera, Basilicata Italy
[Greek Orthodox]
The underground church is situated above the church of the Madonna del Virtu'. Landslides caused by the construction of a road in 1934 damaged the churches. In private ownership until a few decades ago, they were used as wine cellars and warehouse space. The churches are now in public ownership and open to the public. In 1993 the site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The St. Nicholas church was the set for Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion.