IMatera—Idolobha Elinezindlu Eziyimihume Eyingqayizivele

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-ITALY

EMINYAKENI engaba ngu-50 edlule, abanye babecabanga ukuthi lezi zindlu eziyinqaba zase ziyingxenye ‘yesihogo’ sikaDante, okwaholela ekubeni iziphathimandla zikhiphe umyalo wokuba kuphunywe kuzo. Njengoba sekunemithonselana esiphinde yahlala kuzo, manje sezifakwe ngisho nakuyi-World Cultural and Natural Heritage, evikelwe yi-United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Sikhuluma ngani? Futhi kungani kulenkathi edlule ziye zabangela ukusabela okungafani? Impendulo yombuzo wokuqala ilula: sikhuluma ngamaSassi (ngokwezwi nezwi ngesiNtaliyane lisho ukuthi “amaDwala”) aseMatera, eningizimu ye-Italy, ngenhla nje kwesithende “sesicathulo” sase-Italy. Kodwa ukuze siphendule owesibili, kudingeka siqonde ukuthi iyini futhi sazi okuthile ngomlando wayo. Kungani ungasiphelezeli njengoba sivakashela amaSassi futhi sifunda okuthile ngawo?

“Phakathi kwezindawo zase-Italy ezimangaza kakhulu,” ngokombhali uGuido Piovene, amaSassi empeleni akha idolobha “elikhanga ngendlela engakholeki.” Ukuze siwabone kahle, siya endaweni yokubuka engokwemvelo engaphesheya kwesihosha esijulile. Ngaphesheya kwalesi sihosha, ngaphambi kwethu, kunedolobha laseMatera. Njengoba kukhanya bhá ngenxa yokuthi kusehlobo, sibona izindlu ezinamathele emadwaleni; kubonakala sengathi zakhiwe phezu kwezinye. Njengoba imigwaqo ewumngcingo ephakathi kwazo yehla nalesi sihosha, yenza ifindo eliyinsongensonge elicishe lifane nezitebhisi zenkundla enkulu yemidlalo yasesiteji. Imigodi eminingi esiyibona edwaleni yizindlu, noma kwakuyizindlu. Ngamafuphi, lawa amaSassi—izindlu eziyimihume ezakhiwe edwaleni!

Isimo Esiyinqaba

Ukuze sifike eSassi—inkaba yedolobha lasendulo laseMatera—kumelwe sidlule edolobheni lanamuhla, elinezimoto nomsindo. Ukungena kuleli dolobha elidala kunjengokungena kwenye inkathi yesikhathi; sithi thushu esimweni esiyinqaba lapho isiphithiphithi sanamuhla sithathelwa indawo yizimo zesikhathi esidlule.

Ungalindeli ukuthi abantu abahlala kulemihume bazoqhamuka. Namuhla, awunakuyibona imihume yokuqala yasendulo, ngoba ingaphandle le-limestone, uma kungezona izakhiwo eziphelele, liye lakhiwa phambi kwayo ngezindlela zezinkathi ezihlukahlukene: iNkathi Ephakathi, inkathi yokuhlobisa kakhulu nenkathi yesimanje. Njengoba sihamba, lesi simo sibonakala sishintsha ngokuqhubekayo.

Ngokwabavubukuli, eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezimbalwa edlule amaqembu emizulane, mhlawumbe okwakungabelusi, ayehlala kulendawo. Imihume engokwemvelo ehlakazeke kulendawo yayivikela ezimweni zezulu nasezilwaneni eziyingozi. Ngokushesha, kwase kuhlalwa emihumeni eminingi. Okutholwe abavubukuli kubonisa ukuthi lendawo kuye kwahlalwa kuyo ngokuqhubekayo kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuqhubeke.

Nokho, kwahlalwa kancane kancane kumaSassi. Ezikhathini zamaGreki namaRoma, kwakunomuzana esiqongweni sedwala, enkabeni yedolobha elidala lanamuhla. URaffaele Giura Longo ubhala ukuthi kulezo zikhathi zasendulo, amaSassi “ayeyizigodi ezimbili okwakungahlali muntu kuzo, izigodi ezimbili ezazenabele ezinhlangothini zegquma ledolobha elidala ngaphezulu futhi ezazingaphesheya komthambeka walesi sihosha; kwakungahlali muntu kodwa . . . zazembozwe uhlaza oluyisikhotha.” Kusukela ekuqaleni kweNkathi Ephakathi, lapho kumbiwa i-limestone ethambile futhi kwakhiwa imigwaqo, amagceke nezindlu kusetshenziswa amadwala atholakala lapho kumbiwa, amaSassi aqala ukubukeka ngalendlela abukeka ngayo.

Kwakudingeka izindlu nezindawo okwakuzovalelwa kuzo izilwane nokwenza imisebenzi ehlobene nokufuya izilwane, njengokukhiqiza ushizi. Nokho, umsebenzi oyinhloko kwakungezolimo. Kwenziwa izingadi zemifino emiseleni emikhulu eyayimbiwa ohlangothini lwesihosha esijulile esingaphesheya kweSassi. Izimpawu zalemisele zisabonakala. Ingxenye enkulu yokuphila kwabantu yayigxile komakhelwane, amagceke ayezungezwe izindlu eziningi.

Isimiso Esikhangayo Sokuqoqwa Kwamanzi

Kungase kushiwo futhi ukuthi umlando weSassi uphathelene nokulwa komuntu namadwala namanzi, ngesikhathi esifanayo ebe ezuza kuwo. Nakuba ayengeyona inala, esikhathini semvula amanzi ayegugula amasimu nemisele—okwakwenziwe ngokuzikhandla okukhulu—lapho lina kulesi sihosha. Ngakho izakhamuzi zaseSassi zaqaphela isidingo sokuqondisa lamanzi emvula bese ziwaqoqa wonke.

Kodwa ayengaqoqwa kanjani futhi aqoqelwe kuphi? Emiseleni kwambiwa imithombo yabe isivalwa ngcí. Isimiso semisele sasiyisa kulemithombo noma yimaphi amanzi ayetholakala, ekuqaleni ayesetshenziswa kakhulu kwezolimo. Ngokomdwebi wamapulani ezindlu uPietro Laureano, inani layo, “elalingaphezulu kakhulu kwalelo lemihume ehlala abantu noma kwalelo lamathangi amanzi okuphuza ayedingeka,” lifakazela ukuthi “amathangi aseSassi ekuqaleni ayeyisimiso esikhangayo sokuqoqwa kwamanzi okunisela ngenkasa.”

Kulesi simiso futhi kwakutholakala amanzi anele okuphuza, futhi ngokwanda kwabantu, lesi sici saba esibaluleke ngokwandayo. Ngenxa yalokhu, kwatholakala ilungiselelo lobuhlakani. Kwahlanganiswa amathangi, asendaweni eyodwa nasemiseleni ehlukahlukene. “Njengesimiso esikhulu sokuvova utshwala, ayehlanza amanzi ngokuqhubekayo njengoba ayesuka komunye umthombo eya komunye.” Khona-ke amanzi ayekhiwa kweminye yemithombo eminingi eyayigcwele eSassi. Imigodi yeminye yalemithombo isabonakala nanamuhla. Kwakuyisimangaliso ukutholakala kwamanzi amaningi kangaka endaweni eyomile.

Indlu Edwaleni

Njengoba sehla ngezitebhisi sihamba ngemigwaqo eyinsongensonge, siyaqaphela ukuthi lezi zindawo zasendulo zakhiwe ezindaweni ezehlelayo, kangangokuthi sizithola sesihamba ophahleni lwezindlu oluneminyango evulekela emiseleni engezansi. Kwezinye izindawo, kunezinhlu eziyishumi zezindlu, olunye phezu kolunye. Lapha, umuntu usondelene nedwala. Emuva ekhulwini le-13, izincwadi ezingokomthetho zazibiza lezi zindawo ngokuthi “amaSassi.”

Sima ngaphandle kwendlu ethile. Ingaphandle layo elihle eliyisimanje akufanele lisikhohlise, njengoba lapha kusanda kuvulwa umnyango omusha kuyi-limestone yangaphandle yokuqala. Lena indlu evamile yaseSassi. Ngemva kokudlula emnyango, sehla ngochungechunge lwezitebhisi siyongena ekamelweni elikhulu lapho umkhaya wawenzela khona izinto eziningi zasendlini. Sehlela ekamelweni lesibili, ngemva kwalo kunelinye. Amanye amakamelo kwakungamathangi okwase kuhlalwa kuwo—imbobo ephezulu, lapho amanzi ayevame ukungena khona, yavalwa, futhi kwase kumbiwa ngaphakathi emseleni kwenziwa umnyango. Amakamelo angaphakathi ayesetshenziselwa ukuvalela izilwane ezithwalayo, kuyilapho umkhaya wawuhlala emakamelweni aseduze nomnyango. Ukukhanya nomoya kwakungena ngentuba enkulu engaphezu komnyango. Ngokuqinisekile namuhla izakhamuzi zaseSassi azisazivaleli izilwane ezithwalayo ezindlini zazo!

Umgwaqo uphakeme kunezindlu eziningi. Ngani? Ngoba iminyango nezinye izindlu eziyimihume zazimbiwa emithambekeni ukuze kusetshenziswe ukukhanya kwelanga. Ebusika, lapho ilanga ligudla emkhathizwe, imisebe yalo yayingena endlini, ikhanyise futhi iyenze ifudumale; ehlobo imisebe yokukhanya kwelanga yayingadluli emnyango, futhi ngaphakathi kwakuhlala kupholile futhi kunomswakama. Ngemva kodonga lomhume esikuwo, sibona ingosi eqoshiwe “enamashalofu” amaningana. Yiyona ebonisa isikhathi, iklanyelwe ukubonisa ukuhamba kwelanga kuwo wonke unyaka. Lapho siphuma, sinomuzwa ongavamile. Ukuphola komhume kwakusenze sakukhohlwa ngokushesha ukushisa kwasehlobo ngaphandle!

Ukuwohloka Nokuvuselelwa

Uma kubekelwa eceleni lesi simo esiyinqaba, amaSassi aye aba nezinguquko ezihlukahlukene. Nakuba engazange ashintshe emakhulwini eminyaka futhi ephumelela njengesizinda sezindawo ezingamadolobha, phakathi nekhulu le-18 okuthile kwashintsha. Izakhiwo ezintsha nemigwaqo kwathiya isimiso esiphumelelayo sokulawula amanzi, kwabangela izinkinga ekuqedweni okuvamile kwemfucumfucu. Ngenxa yalokho, kwanda izifo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukushintsha kwezomnotho zalendawo kwaphumela ekwandeni kobumpofu phakathi kwemikhaya eyayilima eyayihlala kumaSassi, eyayiqhubeka yanda.

Ukuwohloka okuqhubekayo kwalendawo eyake yaba yinhle kwabonakala kungenakugwenywa. Ngakho ngomqondo wokuxazulula lenkinga unomphela, ekuqaleni kwawo-1950, kwenziwa isinqumo esingokomthetho sokukhipha abantu eSassi. Ezakhamuzini ezingaphezu kuka-15 000 zaseMatera ezazihlala lapho, lokho kwakusho usizi lwangempela, ikakhulukazi uma kucatshangelwa umphakathi wakulendawo, njengoba kwaphela ubuhlobo obujulile ezaziye zabakha nomakhelwane.

Nokho, abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi leli dolobha elimangalisayo akufanele lenziwe incithakalo. Ngakho, ngenxa yomsebenzi ophumelelayo wokulivuselela, namuhla amaSassi ayavuselelwa futhi abantu sebebuyela khona kancane kancane. Namuhla, izivakashi eziningi ezibuka amazwe ziyathanda ukubona amagceke asendulo nemigwaqo yaseSassi. Uma kungase kwenzeke uvakashele kulengxenye yomhlaba, kungani ungadluli lapha uvakashele leli dolobha elinamakhulu eminyaka likhona elakhiwa emadwaleni?

[Izithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

1. Ukubukeka kwamaSassi aseMatera; 2. izindlu “ezingomakhelwane” nomthombo ngaphambili kwesobunxele; 3. ingaphakathi lendlu; 4. ingosi eyayisetshenziselwa ukubonisa isikhathi; 5. umsele owake wasetshenziselwa ukuyisa amanzi emathangini