A Virtual Trip to Matera with Imma Tataranni
If you’re missing travel to Italy, take a virtual trip to Matera with Imma Tataranni…
The European Union (EU) anointed Matera, Italy the coveted title of “European Capital of Culture” in 2019, raising the city’s profile around the world. For many of us hooked on the engaging Italian TV series, Imma Tataranni: Sostituto Procuratore, the show’s protagonist, Imma Tataranni (played by Vanessa Scalera) might be considered one of the region’s ambassadors of “pop culture.”
This mystery series with a comic twist streams on MHz Choice. The storyline follows the life and work of Imma Tataranni, a deputy public prosecutor in Matera.
Imma: A woman juggling home and work
An unconventional character in many respects, Imma is a strong woman working in a male-dominated occupation. Her over-the-top attire verges on provocative: She typically wears high platform heels, short skirts, oversized dangling earrings and glitzy sweaters made of beg-me-to-touch fabrics.
Despite her stereotypical appearance, she is strident in her approach to solving crime, highly intuitive and fearless. Her encyclopedic memory often supplants the need for the town’s archives.
As viewers follow Imma’s adventures, they gain insights into the foods, traditions and lifestyles of the region.
Visiting Matera
Matera is the scene stealer in this series, especially in the breathtaking aerial photography. The show takes viewers to Matera and Potenza, the two provinces that make up the region of Basilicata. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993, Matera is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world and, probably, one of the most architecturally and geographically interesting.
Located in southern Italy towards the heel of the “boot” (on the border of Puglia), the city is known for its scenic landscapes, winding roads, and ancient cave dwellings (called sassi) that look as if they are terraced into the layered rocks that rise above a steep canyon.
See this excellent article that highlights some of the things to do in Matera, Italy, including visiting the sassi.
The caves, dug out of volcanic limestone (called tufa), once housed farmers and shepherds. Over time, these caves deteriorated into slums, housing impoverished citizens who lived in dwellings with earthen floors and no electricity or running water. It wasn’t until 1952, that the Italian government resettled the nearly 15,000 inhabitants out of this substandard housing.
Instead of bringing witnesses to her office in the municipal building, Imma often visits characters at their homes in the historic center of Matera as well as in and around the small villages that dot the surrounding countryside.
Viewers get to see authentic glimpses of this magical region that blends old and new. For example, in one episode, Imma and her husband attend a concert at the magnificent Casa Cava, an ancient cave in Matera, once a quarry, that now houses concerts.
Movie buffs may recognize Matera as the setting where Mel Gibson filmed The Passion of the Christ.” More recently, chase scenes from the James Bond flick, No Time To Die with Daniel Craig were also filmed there.
A family drama, too
Like many modern women, Imma Tataranni juggles a home life with her career. She is married to Pietro De Ruggeri (played by Massimiliano Gallo), a doting husband who is continually trying to assuage his wife’s stress. Although I’m not clear about his occupation, he does seem to have far more spare time than his wife. In addition to doing a lion’s share of cooking and parenting in the home, he has downtime to practice the saxophone.
The couple’s teenage daughter, Valentina (played by Alice Azzariti), an only child, is going through the angst of adolescence, seeking to become more independent and define herself and her friendships. The relationship between mother and daughter gets feisty at times.
Imma Tataranni, also an only child, has the added responsibility of overseeing elder care for her aging mom, who suffers from dementia. Her somewhat meddling in-laws seem to pop in too often, always reminding Imma of their higher social class.
Although Imma is in love with her lusty husband, you wonder if she may be a bit of a cougar. She often has eyes for–and dreams about–her young, shy, and very handsome assistant, Corporal Calogiuiri (played by Alessio Lapice) who seems to be able to enhance her mood in a heartbeat.
Much of the family drama often takes place around the dinner table, showcasing regional recipes.
Other characters round out the ensemble cast, including Imma’s less than efficient assistant, Diana, a former high school chum; her straight-laced boss, Alessandro Vitali; and Saverio Romaniello (played by Cesare Bocci, aka Mimi Augello in Detective Montalbano), a sketchy businessman who seems to always be angling behind the scenes.
This well-acted, made-for-TV show is based on a detective series by Italian writer, Mariolina Venice, who hails from Basilicata. Some people have called the series a “female Montalbano.” While it is of a somewhat similar genre (mystery-comedy) and is also set in an appealing Southern Italy locale, Imma Tataranni really deserves to be seen and appreciated in its own right. The stories don’t have the same depth and complexity as those written by Andrea Camilleri but are still quite entertaining.
Perhaps, Imma Tataranni is best appreciated as the perfect Italian dessert course after you’ve finished the 36 episodes of Detective Montalbano. After watching the first four episodes, I am yearning to return to Matera.
In Italian with English subtitles, each of the six episodes of Season 1 is about two hours long. First released in Italy in 2019, the episodes began airing on MHz Choice in June 2020.
Imma Tatarrani Season 2
Now airing, Season 2 of Imma Tataranni premiered on MHz Choice on May 17, 2002.
As Imma uses her skills and intuition to solve crimes, she is grappling with a husband who is having a mid-life crisis, and her teenage daughter, Valentina, is growing into adulthood. Although the series has always been filled with some humor, we found the new episodes are even more amusing than prior ones.
Imma Tataranni Season 3
There is no official confirmation of whether or not a third season of Imma Tataranni will be airing. but there has been speculation that RAI has enough episodes already in production to air another season of this delightful series.
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La Voce di New York interviewed screenwriter Salvatore De Mola, who has worked on a long list of Italian movies and TV series, including Detective Montalbano and Imma Tataranni. It is well worth a read. One brief excerpt from the interview that resonated with me:
One thing that not only Montalbano but also other great international series have taught us is that the more you show a precise, identifiable place, the more universal you can be, the more you can touch a vast audience that goes beyond national borders. —Salvatore De Mola
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It’s sad that these days our travel options are becoming so limited. I guess we should consider ourselves fortunate to have have virtual travel. Thanks for sharing this experience.
I am also so thankful for past experiences, too!
Thx for this fascinating post. It has introduced me to Matera. I’ve bookmarked it for my next trip to Italy.
Matera is an amazing city. You won’t be disappointed!
I’ve always wanted to visit this Unesco city, hopefully I will get a chance to see this in person once w are allowed to travel to Italy again some day.
I hope so, Noel! It’s pretty incredible!
We’ve loved Imma and can’t wait for the next season! Great article and background on Imma and Matera. Thank you.
It looks like a great place to visit (but then where in Italy isn’t, right?) And thanks for the introduction to this television series. Doubtful we could get it here, but maybe on a visit to the States I will try to track it down. . .of course pigs may be flying before I ever get back to the states!
Hope you get to see the series in Greece. I just watched the last episode of the season and was blown away! Great drama!
This post about Matera is making me miss Italy even more. How do you get that channel? Is it subtitles? I’d love to watch that show.
Here is the link to MHz Choice: https://watch.mhzchoice.com/
You can sign up for a free trial.
Yes, the series is subtitled but it’s wonderful to listen to it in Italian, too! I’ve picked up a few new words!
I have to respectfully disagree with your conclusion that “The stories don’t have the same depth and complexity as those written by Andrea Camilleri but are still quite entertaining.” Personally I enjoyed this show more than Montalbano (which is also an excellent show). I think this show has more depth, especially in terms of the development of characters. The characters in Montalbano are fairly static and there is not really any ongoing storyline connecting the episodes. This show is not only a first rate who-done-it but highlights the internal feelings and drama of the main character far more than Montalbano.
I do agree that they are pretty damn good:-) Just my personal take!
This Italian TV series sounds intriguing. I always enjoy a movie or TV series that is set in an interesting location. I’ve found that in a good one, I spend so much time looking at the background that I miss some of the action and story and have to watch it again.
Imma Tataranni certainly fits the bill of offering a great setting!