Explore Matera – Italy’s City of Caves
About Matera
Matera is arguably the most remarkable town in Southern Italy. Its famous “sassi” are troglodyte cave dwellings, which have been carved out of the rock ravine in tiers over centuries of human occupation. The caves were home to over half the population of the town right up until the 1950s, and they are believed to have been inhabited since the 8th century BC. It is the final stop on our Southern Italy hike and is a true highlight of the tour.
Where is Matera?
Matera is in the region of Basilicata in the southern part of the Italian peninsula. The region’s geography has something “other worldly” about it, with majestic mountains, bare clay hills and dark forested valleys. Less fertile than the rest of the country however, it became known as the landscape of poverty. This southern region suffered huge emigration and a subsequent lack of investment, giving it a very different feel to northern Italy. But Basilicata is wild, dramatic and sparsely populated and a wonderful escape from the busy tourist hot spots further north. It also has two coast lines, with wonderful beaches on the Mediterranean and Ionian seas.
History of Matera
Populated for thousands of years, the caves would have been home to people alongside their animals. In the middle ages, there was an ingenious system of canals regulating the flow of water in and out of the grottoes. However later, as the population grew to unsustainable numbers, the dwellings became dangerously over-crowded and diseases such as malaria were rife. In the late 1950s some 15,000 residents were compulsorily relocated to government housing schemes, and the reports of living conditions in the town were a great scandal across Italy. Stories circulated that children would stop strangers in the street and ask not for money but for quinine. Ironically the town’s history of misery means that today more people than ever are keen to visit. In 1993 the Sassi became a Unesco World Heritage site and many of the caves have been gradually redeveloped to house craft workshops, restaurants and even hotel accommodation. The city of Matera, with its extraordinary atmosphere, has featured in a number of well-known films, including The Passion of Christ and No Time to Die, and in 2019 it was awarded the title of European Capital of Culture.
Things to do in Matera
Sassi di Matera
Sassi Caveoso and Sassi Barisano: These are the two main districts of ancient cave dwellings. Explore the winding streets, stone houses, and churches carved into the rock. This is the very heart of Matera’s charm and history.
Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario
This restored cave dwelling gives a glimpse into what life was like for the inhabitants of Matera before they were relocated in the 1950s. It houses traditional tools and furniture.
Churches of the Rupestrian Complex
Santa Maria de Idris: A rock-hewn church with stunning frescoes, located on top of a rock that offers panoramic views of the city.
San Pietro Barisano: The largest rupestrian church in Matera, with a fascinating underground complex of niches.
Santa Lucia alle Malve: Another rock church with well-preserved frescoes, and the first female monastic settlement in the town.
Palombaro Lungo
An enormous underground cistern beneath Piazza Vittorio Veneto, once used to collect rainwater for the city. It’s an impressive feat of ancient engineering and can be explored through guided tours.
MUSMA (Museum of Contemporary Sculpture)
Located in the Palazzo Pomarici, this museum combines ancient and modern art, displaying contemporary sculptures within the unique cave-like spaces.
Casa Noha
A multimedia museum that tells the story of Matera’s history, from prehistoric times to the modern day. It’s an excellent way to contextualize the significance of what you’re seeing in the city.
Make sure to schedule a night-time stroll around Matera. The caves and tiny streets are well-lit and the illuminations make the whole city glow like a miniature nativity scene.
What to eat and drink in Matera
Don’t miss out on trying local specialties like “crapiata”, a traditional soup made with grains and beans and wonderful olive oil. “Peperoni cruschi”, air dried peppers fried for only a few seconds in olive oil to make them crispy are a local favourite, and “pane di Matera” which is made from 100% milled semolina grain, is the celebrated local bread. Basilicata is also famous for its spicy pork sausage, a wide ribbon pasta known as “lagane” and delicately flavoured white beans. Many restaurants in the Sassi offer unique dining experiences within their cave settings. Aglianico is the chief red grape of Basilicata . It’s origins are a little unclear but the name probably derives from the word “Hellenic” or Greek, as this part of Southern Italy was colonised by the Greeks before the rise of the Roman empire. The grape buds early and ripens late and the harvest often does not take place until the end of October into the middle of November. It produces a full-bodied red wine with musky berry flavours and firm tannins and it has good aging potential too.
Getting to Matera
The nearest airport for Matera is Bari, although you could consider flying to Brindisi or Naples. There are good bus shuttle services between Bari and Matera. Matera Centrale train station has lines connecting to Bari, Naples and Rome and it is about a ten minute walk from the station to the heart of the Sassi district. If you have heavy bags there are taxis available. Driving a hire car in the historic centre is not possible – if you are self-driving work out a plan for parking ahead of time. There are free and paid parking spaces available. This website has useful information https://www.materaturismo.it/en/.