Matera is the most unusual city in Italy! Christmas Italy - Matera Italy city of Matera
The original city of Matera (region) is known throughout the world as the city of "Sassi" and the cultural capital of Europe 2019. Matera is one of the oldest cities in the world, capable of striking the traveler with the antipode of luxury and grandeur - its own simplicity and originality.
In 1993, UNESCO declared the "Sassi" quarter of Matera. This area contains evidence of human habitation from the Paleolithic era to the present day and highlights the ability of people to adapt to the environment and its conditions.
Matera is a city that offers visitors a history that is constantly open and in close contact with the customs and traditions of the past. If you try to draw an approximate portrait of the city of Matera, it will be something like an incendiary mixture of narrow alleys and stones, numerous churches and beautiful natural panoramas, good cuisine and the warm hospitality of the southern Italian. In general, friends, Matera is not only the rocky “Sassi”, but also ancient history and beautiful architecture that “remembers” such famous historical figures as Giovanni Pascoli and Carlo Levi, as well as our popular contemporary Mel Gibson, actor and director the film "The Passion of the Christ", which was filmed in Matera.
Today the portal “Italy in Russian” talks about the ten most important attractions of Matera that cannot be missed.
Traveler's note: the closest airport to the city of Matera is in Bari; The distance from Bari-Palese airport to Matera is only about 60 km.
Old Town - Borgo Antico
The old town of Matera is unique because it arose from caves carved into the rock and then took the form of more complex structures. The territory of Borgo Antico is divided into two areas - Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano, which retain in the very center a rocky "frame", Civita, which for many millennia was invisible and inaccessible to enemies.
Civita is home to the historical residences of the local nobility and the Cathedral of Matera. Along the Sasso Caveoso there is a Roman amphitheater and previously inhabited caves that preserve the city's most ancient secrets. Sasso Barisano, which takes its name from an ancient noble family, concentrates small shops and shops. To go on a historical tour, from the Paleolithic era to the present day, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes!
Church of Saint Francis of Assisi
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi has a harmonious and elegant late Baroque façade, designed by the architects Vito Valentino and Tommaso Pennetta, overlooking the wide central Piazza San Francesco. The modern church was built on the underground church of Saints Peter and Paul, which can still be visited through a hatch. An ancient fresco depicting the visit of Pope Urban II to Matera in 1093 has been preserved here. The first church structure dedicated to St. Francis dates back to 1200, but it was not until 1700 that the cathedral reached its splendor. The interior of the church consists of a single nave with chapels and has a special charm, thanks to the spectacular polyptych by Lazzaro Bastiani, a painter of the Venetian school of the sixteenth century. It is said that in 1218 the church gave shelter to St. Francis of Assisi. Be sure to visit this temple, friends!
San Pietro Barisano
To make your walk even more enjoyable, we suggest you reach San Pietro Barisano, the largest cave temple of Matera, located in Sasso Barisano, which seems suspended over an abyss. Of particular interest to tourists is the temple's bell tower, resting on a rock, and the façade, built using tuff blocks. The interior of the church has three naves separated by massive columns and six altars carved into tuff. Fortunately, you can still see the small church building with walls covered in brightly colored frescoes in excellent condition. You will also find here a very beautiful crypt, where everything has remained untouched since ancient times.
Ridol Museum
To better understand the long history of the city of Matera, we recommend you make a stop at the Ridol Museum, where you will go on a Grand Tour, ranging from prehistory to the 3rd century BC. The oldest museum in the city is housed in the seventeenth-century Monastery of Santa Clara, founded in 1911 by the will of Senator Ridol, who donated to the state his important archaeological collection - the result of many years of research and excavations. Numerous exhibits of the museum testify to the daily life of the prehistoric inhabitants of Matera, in addition, many artifacts dating back to the period of domination of the territory by the ancient Greeks are collected here. If you love history, be sure to visit the Ridol Museum!
Ticket costs 2.50 euros.
Church of San Giovanni Battista
The Church of San Giovanni Battista is one of the most important examples of medieval architecture in Southern Italy and is characterized by typical architectural motifs of the Romanesque style with an oriental touch. Located a stone's throw from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, the temple rises on the left side of Piazza San Rocco. The original façade of the church is walled up because it was included in the garden of the old hospital; Access to the temple is through a side door decorated with floral patterns and columns with capitals. While the outer façade deceives the visitor with its Romanesque style and precious sculptures, the interior of the church hides the Gothic style with its characteristic pointed arches. You will be delighted!
Palazzo Lanfranchi
Before entering the Sasso Caveoso district, near Piazza Pascoli, you will see the charming and elegant Baroque façade of Palazzo Lanfranchi, where the National Art Museum of Contemporary Art of Basilicata was located in 2003. Conceived by Bishop Lanfranchi, the historic palazzo housed the seminary and high school where Pascoli taught. Today there is a museum divided into four zones: religious art, an art gallery owned by Camillo D'Errico, contemporary art and demoethnoanthropology. The biggest surprise for the museum visitor you will find on the ground floor: the impressive painting "Lucania "61" by Carlo Levi wrote in honor of the centenary of the unification of Italy.
Church of Santa Maria di Idris
Matera is a city of surprise, where the surprise and excitement of the visitor never ends! Situated in the heart of the Sasso Caveoso quarter, the church of Santa Maria di Idris wedges itself between the rocks at the top of Monterron and offers the visitor a fantastic view of the Sassi. Inside, very small and simple, consisting of a single nave and walls with the remains of ancient frescoes dating back to the thirteenth century, this temple was dedicated to Our Lady of Idris. In ancient times, during times of drought, women would climb the stairs leading to the church on their knees, asking for God's mercy in the form of rain.
Grotto houses in Sassi
Have you ever wondered what it was like for our ancestors to live inside rock caves? You can find out all the details in Matera, which preserves among its streets the typical dwellings carved into the rocks - Sassi. Examples of cave dwellings are located in the very center of Sasso Caveoso: they are simply decorated and typical objects of everyday life are preserved here. Poor large families lived in Sassi Matera, and this did not happen in prehistoric times, but in our days, until the end of the 50s of the last century.
Palombaro Lungo
Local residents of Matera experienced great difficulties with water resources. Therefore, many canals and trenches were dug under the city streets to collect water and a whole system of various cisterns was laid. Matera was once called the "Village of the Trenches".
The city zealously guards its underground history and about a thousand ancient water tanks. Among them, the most extensive and longest is Palombaro Lungo, accessible from Piazza Vittorio Veneto. As you descend, you will see with your own eyes the depths of a reservoir sixteen meters in diameter, which contained the water necessary to meet the needs of all people during the drought. The tanks have now been emptied and restored, but visiting them is not recommended for those who suffer from claustrophobia.
Natural Park Murgia Matherana
For lovers of hiking and trekking, Matera is the ideal destination: the Murgia Park, one of the most picturesque natural parks in Italy, offers many interesting routes among emerald green vegetation and blue skies. Starting from the Civita quarter and continuing to the river, crossing a rope bridge, you will find yourself on the other side of the city, from where you can enjoy amazingly breathtaking views of the caves and rock temples of the city of Matera. This is a place untouched by man, where you can easily feel like part of a fantastic “wild” world.
Photo by Thinstock, skyscanner.it
Matera is one of the most famous Italian cities, located in the Basilicata region perpendicular to a small gorge. These territories were inhabited by humans back in Paleolithic times, and the city itself was allegedly founded by the Romans in the 3rd century BC. under the name Mateola. In 664, Matera was captured by the Lombards and made it part of the Duchy of Benevento. In the 7th and 8th centuries, the surrounding caves were inhabited by Benedictine monks and followers of the Greek Orthodox Church. In the following centuries, fierce battles between the Saracens, Byzantines and German emperors took place in these lands, and Matera was destroyed more than once. After the Normans settled in Apulia in the 11th century, the city came under their rule. It was only in the 15th century that Matera became a possession of the Aragonese dynasty, and later it was even the capital of Basilicata. In 1806, the title of capital was transferred to Potenza, and in 1927, Matera became the administrative center of the province of the same name. Interestingly, in 1943, the residents of Matera were the first in Italy to rebel against the Nazi-German occupation.
Throughout the world, Matera is known for its “sassi” - ancient dwellings carved directly into the rocks. These Sassi are considered one of the first human settlements on the territory of the Apennine Peninsula. Many sassi are ordinary caves, and the streets in some frequent “stone towns” are located right on the roofs of houses. In the 1950s, the Italian government forcibly resettled the Sassi people into the modern city, but some families have returned in recent decades. Today Matera can be considered the only place in the world where people live in the same houses as their ancestors did about 9 thousand years ago. Many of the sassi have now been converted into luxury hotels and restaurants, and the entire complex was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1993 - the first in southern Italy.
In addition to the sassi, numerous religious buildings have been preserved in Matera, including churches carved out of the rocks, which are considered one of the most interesting local attractions. An important architectural monument is the Cathedral of Santa Maria della Bruna, built in the 13th century in the Apulian-Romanesque style. Other churches worth visiting are San Pietro Caveoso and San Pietro Barisano. Also worth visiting is the unfinished Castello Tramontano from the early 16th century. Also in Matera there is the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of the Middle Ages, the Museum of Peasant Civilization and the Museum of Contemporary Sculpture.
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In addition to these caves, the Cathedral in Matera is worth seeing. From Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square), go down Via Ridola and past the Church del Purgatorio to the Ridola Museum, where many archaeological finds are kept.
The last week of June - the first week of July in Matera is the time of the Festa di Santa Maria della Bruna, during which fairs, fireworks and various musical performances take place.
Italy Matera attractions
| Abbey of St. Michael the Archangel Lanfranchi Palace Castle of Tramontano Cathedral Sassy Sanctuary of Our Lady of Picciano Churches of the Sassi Church and monastery of St. Dominic Church of St. John the Baptist Church of Saint Francis of Assisi Church of St. Clare |
August 9th, 2013 , 02:09 pm
Yesterday we went to Matera. This is a place where people have been benefited for 20 years. And they succeeded in this. But some time after the completion of this action, they discovered that as a result they had lost their roots and traditions - and they began to work hard to restore them from the remaining rubble. And now crowds of tourists look at the ruins of the old happiness and its reanimated part. It all happened here.
And now - the details of the trip.
We went to Matera by rail. In general, in Bari, besides TrenItalia, there are three other local bus and train companies, each with its own network. I learned about this back in Moscow from information, and in this report I found a diagram of the location of stations on Bari Centrale / Both of these helped me a lot - using links to company websites, I downloaded the schedule, and the location helped me quickly board the train, without this information it would be difficult. True, the schedule turned out to be wrong, but, fortunately, not by much: in reality the trains run 5-10 minutes later.
We were traveling there on such an old train; it was the first time I rode it in Europe. It's hot, the windows are open.
But back we traveled on a modern train with air conditioning, and now it stands at the station in the evening, next to the old one.
In general, such separate and, probably, quite profitable railways lead me to sad thoughts - why do we think that passenger railways are expensive and unprofitable? True, prices here are higher, about twice as high - a 1.5 hour trip costs 4.5 euros, while on our trains it costs about 100 rubles. But the trains here are small, which means the cost of one trip is more expensive. And the road is single-track with passing lanes at stations. This is a station.
And around there are olive plantations. The train takes 1.5 hours to Matera, changing at Altamura. True, in Altamura it turned out that in August, instead of a train, a bus from the same company goes to Matera, but this did not cause any problems - we switched from the train to a normal intercity bus and drove on. By train it is more interesting, although without air conditioning. We left a little before ten and arrived in Matera around half past eleven. Minus - there is no tourist office at the station, and it is generally empty, any infrastructure is completely absent. But we asked where the information for tourists was, they waved us away and as a result we found ourselves in the main square, in front of the entrance to Sassi - the old part of Matera, which attracts tourists. Only the tourist office at the entrance to the square was closed.
These are the views from the observation deck and from the entrance.
We climbed into the old tank. There's really nothing special to see there - the cave is just a cave. But the guide tells the story. We, however, did not listen due to poor knowledge of languages, so, just out of the corner of our ears. Tour in Italian and English. And we ran quickly.
They asked again where they could get a map, because they didn’t want to go into the concrete jungle without it. We were directed to a private agency, but on the way I saw a working tourist office, where they sold me a card for 1.50 euros. I suspect that in a private office there would be a different, free card, which I later took from a cafe in the middle of the walk. So, a paid one is better, because it shows all the stairs and passages in detail and you can walk not only along tourist routes. And the free one contains only tourist routes, although there are more of them.
And we boldly went. In general, it was too bold, because Matera is a stone bowl, the sun was almost at its zenith, and there was no shadow.
I quickly got thirsty, and then we saw Osteria. The owner warned that in 15 minutes they will close for siesta, but if there is water, then there is no problem. We even wanted to take it and go, but he invited us to sit down and rest, because it was inconvenient to carry water in glass. So we were surprised to find ourselves in the first sassi - cave dwelling. Because the Osteria, small on the outside, turned out to be deep underground. Here you can take a look.
And when we drank the water, the owner politely rejected our attempt to pay. This is what this Osteria looks like from the outside - the owner there is nice and welcoming, it’s a pity that we weren’t able to return there in the evening. Located on Via Fiorentini.
The next place we wandered was Sassi Cave Dwelling, in which the atmosphere of our former life was recreated. In addition to the setting, there is a story, and they have a recording in Russian. From it we learned the story of the inflicted happiness. In the 60s, a law was passed according to which neighborhoods with cave dwellings were subject to mandatory forced resettlement. Which lasted 20 years, and I think not all residents accepted it with joy. And then the neighborhoods began to collapse. And then other people realized about the heritage of their ancestors, the loss of traditions and other similar things. A new law was passed, the remains of happiness were recognized as a cultural heritage, and now it is a tourist site. People can buy a destroyed sassi, restore it and live. But the spirit of desolation - it hovers in many neighborhoods, while walking further we saw it. And the state took the underground churches under its control. True, the frescoes were eaten by mold, and the valuable ones could have been removed, but where they remained, they were somehow preserved. And in the brochures they give out bright photoshopped versions, so you can’t take pictures inside.
However, I’m getting ahead of myself. Cave Dwelling has been restored by a family who used to live in Sassi - but the foundation of memories. He is not the only one, but I don’t know if the others have a Russian entry. In another one we went to there was none. Located on Via Fiorentini and this is the only landmark I can give. The signs are all standard, Casa Grotta, and in the prospectuses it is the same, but the main place is shown differently, we have been there and worse.
And here's what it looks like. The main room inside is like a living room, two more go deeper from it, a bedroom with a bunk bed and another where cattle were kept. Families lived large. The kitchen is opposite, in the front. For water - a well in a special tank below, where rainwater was collected - there were no other sources.
Adorable cat on the sofa.
Then we came to a canyon with magnificent views. It turns out that Matera is not a bowl, as can be seen from the site, it is right on the slopes of the canyon. A river flows along the bottom; apparently, cleaned sewage is now being dumped there.
We went up to the Augustinian monastery and went into the church. There you can buy a ticket for 2 euros and go to the underground church of San Giuliano - a small cave with 5 frescoes. We made it just before siesta, when we left - the usher folded up and closed the church.
We went down and went up to the cathedral. Sassi ruins. The entrance and what is beyond the entrance.
There was a Madonna on the wall.
The cathedral turned out to be closed, either for siesta or generally.
But we sat down in a cafe on the square. The prices are not so affordable, but as it turned out later, for Matera they are nothing at all. Cafe - at a 5-star two-story hotel, for those who want to live in a historical heritage. Although if you really want to immerse yourself, live in sassi. B&Bs and small hotels are scattered throughout the city. However, maybe this hotel also has an underground part :)
The cathedral is on a hill and has good views.
We walked along non-tourist paths. Empty sassi. The spirit of benefit done and good done. Some are being restored and disposed of, and are already living somewhere. Canyon again. You can go down and take a walk - then there is a descent and there are route maps. And on the other side you can see caves that are not equipped at all.
And here they are already settling in.
Ventilation outlet
They did something here with two blocks...
Flowers on the wall
The grapes are crawling along the wall and there, at the top, they have grown. The grapes are hanging.
Church of San Pietro Kaveoso. The ceiling is well preserved.
Another Casa Grotta, as they call them here. Restored life, in the cave there is a horse, not a donkey. And a couple more caves nearby, one was a church, but only the walls remained.
Then we also looked at underground churches; Santa Lucia alle Malve, Santa Maria de Idris together with San Giovanni in Monterrone and a complex of four churches San Antonio, San Donato, Sant Eligio and Temple Cadute. One or two or even four located nearby. Dating back to the 12th century, including surviving pieces of frescoes - 12-14-17 centuries. The frescoes have been eaten away by mold, what remains is very pale, you can’t take pictures inside, but in the brochures, Photoshop creates a much more pleasant impression. So the question arises: why wasn’t the cultural heritage taken care of earlier, when the neighborhoods were being resettled, and the churches preserved? And people could well be given the opportunity to stay, reorienting them to serving tourists. Give the opportunity for resettlement, not oblige.
The entrance to the underground part of the church and what is visible there. You can go down to the next one, there are bare walls.
More different sassi and common types
While restoring the house, an angel was dragged from somewhere.
We left the sassi and went upstairs. There was a long staircase, so we immediately plopped down into a cafe on San Francesco Square. It was Nen who appreciated that Duomo’s prices were quite reasonable and the assortment was good.
And we went to see a more modern city. That is, relatively sassi modern, and the baroque churches of the 17th century are quite a worthy antiquity.
The skull is luxurious.
Madonna and Child with the Living Holy Spirit :)
We wandered into the archaeological museum - Museo Ridola. Stone hatchets, knives and shards. But everything is in such old display cases, the academic spirit is in the air. Then you go out into the Greek halls, quite a lot of vases.
Reconstruction of some "typical hut".
Museum of Art - Palazzo Lanfranchi. First you are directed past some installations of modern art, and then you go up to the second floor and discover quite decent rooms of old art. Including old frescoes that were brought from somewhere, perhaps from the Sassi churches. And then - from the past to the more modern.
The painting says St. Eustachio, but, in my opinion, this is a well-known fairy tale about the golden-horned deer. However,
