Ancient city carved into limestone cliffs, known for its stone houses and churches. Rich history, winding streets, and regional cuisine make it a fascinating destination.
Matera, an ancient city in southern Italy's Basilicata region, is known for its cave dwellings carved into limestone cliffs. In the Sassi districts, you can explore millennia-old homes, visit frescoed rock churches like Santa Maria de Idris, and dine in restaurants set within renovated caves. As you walk through the city, you'll see winding alleys leading to viewpoints overlooking the Gravina gorge.
Exploring the Sassi Districts
Matera's two Sassi districts - Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso - form the city's historic core. These ancient neighborhoods consist of cave dwellings, churches, and palaces carved directly into the rocky hillside. Walk through narrow lanes and climb steep staircases to discover a mix of abandoned grottoes and carefully restored homes. You can stay in cave hotels, dine in cave restaurants, or visit cave museums to get a sense of life in these distinctive structures.
Rock-Hewn Churches
Matera contains over 150 rupestrian (rock-hewn) churches, dating from the 8th to 13th centuries. Visit the Church of Santa Maria de Idris, carved into a large outcrop, to see its frescoed interior and look out over the city. Inside the Convicinio di Sant'Antonio, you can explore four interconnected cave churches adorned with Byzantine-style paintings. For a short trip outside the city, visit the Crypt of Original Sin to see vibrant 8th-century frescoes depicting biblical scenes.
Local Flavors
Matera's cuisine reflects its agricultural traditions and resourceful past. Eat the city's signature bread, made from durum wheat and baked in a wood-fired oven. You can enjoy it with local olive oil or as part of dishes like 'cialledda', a salad made with stale bread, tomatoes, and onions. Other local specialties include orecchiette pasta with turnip tops, fava bean puree with wild chicory, and pork sausages flavored with fennel seeds. For a fine dining experience, book a table at Vitantonio Lombardo, a Michelin-starred restaurant set in a renovated cave dwelling. The tasting menus feature modern interpretations of regional ingredients.
Hiking in Murgia Materana Park
To see Matera from another perspective, hike across the Gravina gorge to Murgia Materana Park. The landscape contains numerous cave churches, shepherds' shelters, and prehistoric sites. Follow the trail from Porta Pistola to reach the Belvedere viewpoint, where you can see Matera's skyline across the canyon. During your hike, you might spot birds of prey flying above the gorge or wild orchids blooming in spring.
From "Shame of Italy" to UNESCO Site
Matera's history took a significant turn in the 20th century. Until the 1950s, thousands of people lived in the Sassi caves without electricity, running water, or sanitation. The poor conditions led author Carlo Levi to call Matera the "shame of Italy" in his book "Christ Stopped at Eboli." The government moved residents to modern housing, leaving the Sassi abandoned. However, a grassroots preservation movement in the 1980s brought new life to the districts. In 1993, UNESCO added Matera to its World Heritage list, recognizing the city's cultural importance.
