The church of Santa Geffa is one of the oldest in the area, defined as a rock church as it is carved into the rock. Normally these structures stood on the rocky sides of the hills, there are many of them for example in the city of Matera, while others were built underground, taking advantage of the ease of the local rock, tuff, a very friable material if worked with the right tools.
The dating dates back to the 7th century AD. but some writings seem to date it even earlier around the 3rd / 4th century AD. The church is accessed via an iron staircase but at the time it was made of wood, a material that has deteriorated over time. The space inside is not very large but is well structured: 3 naves and 3 apses divide the space in a classic way, following the tradition of the Christian church. The columns that divide the spaces are sturdy and must support considerable weight. The naves end in 3 apses of which the central one is wider and on which opens a hole of considerable size with a diameter of about 3 meters from which a large light enters that illuminates the entire space, the eye of God metaphorically speaking.
The air inside is very cool compared to the outside temperature, there is an excursion of at least 5/7 degrees centigrade and there is also the smell of humidity due to the underground springs that flow right under the church.
In the past, rural areas were much more populated than the city, getting around was not easy and going to church could take a long time, time which for farmers was money. So it was common that rock churches were built so that you could pray at any time of the day, even for a few minutes. It may seem strange but we must try to identify ourselves in the past and we can easily deduce how the construction of a church in that position was really an excellent solution.
On the walls there are no frescoes or paintings or particular writings. On the other hand, the peasants at that time probably did not know writing and reading. They only needed a place to pray to God. Access to the church consists of a side cave, a place dedicated to catacumens, that is, those who embarking on the path of faith that must be followed to be admitted to the Sacrament of Baptism. Not having received Baptism, the faithful were considered impure to access the temple of God and could therefore devote themselves to prayer in a place near the church.
It is very exciting to enter such places. Despite being a very simple church, that spirit of sacredness is felt in the air. I am not able to distinguish suggestion from reality, it is difficult to explain. The silence of the underground church is from a certain point of view also gloomy and this is also due to the presence of underground tombs, currently empty, placed just before the entrance, probably faithful who have not received the sacrament of Baptism.
