Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements on Earth. People have lived in its cave dwellings, the Sassi, since before the birth of Rome. For decades the city was called a national shame, its cave homes deemed unfit for modern life. Then the artists and filmmakers arrived and saw what others had missed. Today the Sassi glow honey-gold at sunset, a labyrinth of cave churches, rock-cut cisterns, and boutique hotels carved into the limestone. Matera has transformed from a symbol of poverty into a testament to resilience. The stones here remember everything.
Matera is a town in southern Italy, 65km south-east from Bari. The town was founded by the Romans in the 3rd century BC. Matera reminds a poor peasant culture, which, since prehistoric times began to excavate the local famous cliff dwellings (Sassi). The cliff dwellings are so amazing that the city is on the UNESCO World Cultural heritage.
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Alessio Milan
Long after the World War II, people still lived in these “cave homes” and often lived in one room with the pet. until the late 1980s this was considered an area of poverty, as these houses were, mostly unlivable. Local administration has become more tourism-oriented, and has promoted the re-generation of the Sassi with the aid of the European Union, the government, UNESCO, and Hollywood. Today there are many thriving businesses, pubs, and hotels.
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by giuseppe portale
You can park the car near the center of the city completely free of charge. Throughout the city you can see several hiking trails, together with several maps with marked trails. However, it is not difficult at all to get lost in the winding streets.
Do not miss Matera Cathedral at the Piazza dei Duomo, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view. Similar views of the city are also at several other places in the city.
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The Cave Churches of Matera
Matera is home to over 150 rupestrian churches carved directly into the soft tufa rock of the Gravina gorge. These churches date from the 8th to the 13th centuries and contain some of the finest Byzantine frescoes in southern Italy. The most impressive is the Crypt of the Original Sin, discovered only in 1963 beneath a modern farmhouse on the outskirts of the city. Its frescoes, painted by Lombard Benedictine monks around the year 800, cover the entire ceiling and depict scenes from Genesis with a vibrancy that rivals much later Renaissance work. Christ Pantocrator stares down from vaults that have survived a millennium of neglect.
Within the historic centre itself, the Church of Santa Lucia alle Malve and the Church of San Pietro Barisano are open to visitors. Santa Lucia alle Malve was originally a Benedictine convent, and its walls retain traces of 13th-century frescoes showing saints and the Madonna. San Pietro Barisano was partially cut into the rock and partially built above ground, creating a hybrid structure that illustrates the evolution of Matera’s architecture as the city expanded upward from its cave dwellings. A combined ticket covering six of the most important cave churches is available at the tourist office in Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
Exploring the Sassi Districts
The Sassi di Matera divide into two main districts, each with a distinct character. Sasso Caveoso, on the southern slope, preserves the oldest and most primitive cave dwellings. Here, you can visit Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario, a furnished cave home that shows how families lived until the 1950s, with a single room housing people and livestock on opposite sides of a central hearth. Walking the narrow stone lanes of Caveoso at dusk, when the limestone houses glow amber in the last sunlight, gives you the strongest sense of what the city looked like before modernisation.
Sasso Barisano, on the northern slope, is more developed and contains the majority of the hotels, restaurants, and artisan workshops. Its cave buildings have been converted into boutique accommodation, and dining in a cave restaurant is one of the defining experiences of a visit to Matera. The two districts meet at the Cathedral of Matera, dedicated to Santa Maria della Bruna, which sits on the rocky spur between them. Nearby attractions worth including in your itinerary are the Murgia Materana Park, a protected plateau across the Gravina gorge that offers the classic panoramic view of the Sassi. Allow a full day to explore both Sassi districts properly, and wear shoes with good grip, because the paths are steep and the limestone can be slippery after rain.
Would you sleep in a cave hotel carved from ancient rock? 🕯️
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