The tiny Italian city of Matera became a must-see historical destination when it was crowned European Capital of Culture for 2019. It comprises clustered Sassi (historic cave dwellings), now home to Airbnbs and boutique hotels, and is thought to be one of the oldest continuously-settled cities in the world.

Packed full of preserved pieces of history, highlights include the 13th-century stone cathedral and the Casa Grotta nei Sassi, a preserved cave home. As far as we're concerned, this beautiful place had to be number one on the list.

Now see how we've ranked Italy's most beautiful towns and villages

The world's most underrated historic small cities you need to visit