Matera

Matera has been continuously inhabited since the Palaeolithic — which makes it one of the oldest settled places in Europe, and one of the most extraordinary cities you'll find anywhere in southern Italy. Carved into a limestone ravine in the heart of Basilicata, its ancient cave districts draw visitors from across the world. And yet, despite the crowds it now attracts, the place still manages to feel genuinely its own. Give it proper time, and it rewards you handsomely.

What to see in Matera

Gravina di Matera

The Gravina di Matera is the dramatic limestone gorge that gives the city its extraordinary character. Running alongside the Sassi district and Murgia Park, its sheer rock walls are pierced by medieval rock-hewn churches carved by monks centuries ago. Without understanding the Gravina, you can't really understand Matera at all.

Church of San Giovanni in Monterrone

Reached through passages carved at different levels into the rock, this church predates the better-known Santa Maria de Idris nearby. It contains what are considered Matera's finest medieval frescoes, including a remarkable 12th-century Christ Pantocrator with strong Byzantine influences. Essential for anyone with even a passing interest in early medieval religious art.

Church of San Pietro Caveoso

Perched on the edge of the Gravina ravine and dating from the 13th or 14th century, San Pietro Caveoso is among the oldest churches in Matera. Its baroque façade features three portals and decorative statues, and there's a noteworthy 16th-century altarpiece inside. Entry is free, which makes it an easy addition to any walk through Sasso Caveoso.

Vico Solitario Cave House

The finest furnished cave dwelling open to the public in Matera, located on Vico Solitario. This museum recreates domestic life in the Sassi using original furniture and household items, showing exactly how families lived here until the mid-20th century. It's a quietly affecting experience — modest in scale, but genuinely illuminating.

MUSMA – Museum of Contemporary Sculpture of Matera

Spread across the underground chambers of Palazzo Pomarici in Sasso Caveoso, MUSMA holds Italy's most significant collection of contemporary sculpture — over 250 works by Italian and international artists. The subterranean setting adds a distinctive atmosphere to the experience. Admission is €7 and it's well worth the detour.

Casa Cava

A former underground tufa quarry, now transformed into a cultural venue and auditorium — reportedly the only subterranean cultural centre of its kind in the world. Casa Cava hosts concerts, exhibitions and events throughout the year. The atmosphere is unlike anything you'd encounter above ground. Tickets cost just €3.

Church of Purgatory

This 18th-century baroque church stands out for its façade decorated with skulls, bones and memento mori motifs. Inside, an octagonal dome features the Four Evangelists, and an original 18th-century organ remains on display. It's a striking reflection of the baroque period's preoccupation with mortality — unusual enough to merit a look even on a tight itinerary.

Rock Complex of Madonna of the Virtues and Saint Nicholas of the Greeks

Dating from around 1000 AD and covering over 1,300 square metres, this rock-carved complex comprises two superimposed churches, each with three naves. Medieval frescoes and carved reliefs survive throughout. Today the site also functions as a contemporary art venue, having hosted works by Salvador Dalí among others — an unusual combination that somehow works.

Audio guide of Matera with Guipock

The Sassi are not a place you can take in from a single viewpoint and feel done with. The lanes are steep, the signage patchy, and the connections between districts aren't always obvious. That's precisely where the Matera audio guide from Guipock earns its keep.

The app uses a GPS-guided map that tracks your position as you move through the city. When you arrive at a point of interest, you receive a notification to open the audio guide for that site — so you're never fumbling with a screen mid-climb, and you don't miss anything by taking a wrong turn. The commentary is delivered in high-quality generated audio, available across a wide range of languages and regional accents: British English, American English, Australian English, French (France and Canada), Spanish (Spain, Argentina and Mexico), German (Germany and Austria), and more.

Before heading out, use the offline download feature to save everything to your device. Once that's done, the app runs without a mobile data connection — useful in the narrow rock lanes where signal can be unreliable.

Travelling with family? The family code means a single purchase covers everyone in your group, with each person accessing the guide from their own phone in whichever language suits them best. And if you've got younger children in tow, the children's mode offers the same route with adapted language, shorter commentary and content specifically pitched at younger visitors.

The app audio guide Matera works as well for a leisurely two-day visit as it does for a tighter single-day itinerary — you set the pace, and the guide fits around you.

How to make the most of your visit to Matera

The nearest airport to Matera is Bari, roughly 60 kilometres away. Direct buses run from Bari airport into the city centre, making it the most straightforward arrival option. Flying into Naples or Brindisi is possible, but the transfer from Bari is considerably more convenient.

Once you're in Matera, the Sassi districts — Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso — can only be explored on foot. Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes. The lanes are steep, cobbled and often uneven, with unexpected steps appearing round almost every corner. It's not a place for sandals or anything with a heel.

For getting between the modern centre and the historic neighbourhoods, the Miccolis bus company operates urban lines and a dedicated Sassi route serving Piazza San Pietro Caveoso. It's a useful option if your legs need a rest mid-afternoon.

The city divides into four distinct areas, each with its own character: the two Sassi embedded in the rock, the Civita — the old high ground crowned by the Cathedral — and the Piano, Matera's more modern centre. It's worth spending at least two full days here to move between them at a reasonable pace. A single day leaves you feeling rushed.

For your first panoramic view of the Sassi, head to Piazzetta Pascoli. It gives you the full picture before you descend into the labyrinth below. The Belvedere Luigi Guerricchio on Piazza Vittorio Veneto — known locally as the Tre Archi — is another excellent vantage point, looking across Sasso Barisano towards the Cathedral.

On the food front, Matera's cooking is straightforward and honest. Look out for the local bread baked in wood-fired ovens, handmade pasta such as orecchiette alla materana with lamb and pecorino, and peperoni cruschi — dried crispy peppers that appear in dishes across the city. In winter, try crapiata, a hearty pulse and grain soup traditional to the area. The Saturday market is a good place to pick up local produce and something to take home.

Spring and early autumn are the most comfortable seasons to visit — warm enough to walk without difficulty, but without the punishing heat of July and August. Whenever you go, the Sassi are best seen in the early morning or the last hour before sunset, when the light on the limestone is at its best.