MATERA

HISTORY: Matera is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, settled since the Paleolithic. From the 3rd century BC, the city was under Roman domination and, in 664, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Matera passed under the Longobard domination and was annexed to the Duchy of Benevento. The 9th and 10th centuries were characterized by bitter struggles between the Lombards, the Saracens and the Byzantines, who tried several times to seize the territory. The city was destroyed by the troops of Louis II, Emperor of the Franks, in an attempt to drive out the Saracens. Read More [...]

Starting with 1043, Matera was ruled by the Normans, and later, in the 15th century, the city came under Aragonese domination. The city was ceded later by the Aragonese to the Count Giovan Carlo Tramontano, who was killed by the oppressed population in 1514. Matera was the first Italian city to rise against the German occupation, on September 21, 1943.

GEOGRAPHY: Today, Matera is a city of about 60,000 inhabitants located in the homonymous province, in the eastern part of the Italian region of Basilicata. Gravina di Matera stream flows into the deep natural ravine that delimits the two ancient districts of the city: Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso.

Matera is located about 60 kilometers south of Bari, 85 kilometers east of the capital city of the Basilicata region, Potenza, about 245 kilometers east of Naples and about 435 kilometers southeast of Rome.

TRANSPORT: The closest airport is Karol Wojtyła Airport, located about 64 kilometers away, near Bari. From the airport, you can take a direct bus to Matera. The ticket costs 3€ and the trip takes one hour and 15 minutes. From Bari, by train, you can get to Matera in about one hour and a half, using the services of the local company Ferrovie Appulo Lucane. A single ticket costs 5€.

LANDMARKS: The most interesting things in Matera are the Sassi. The Sassi are the ancient districts of the city, in which cave houses are dug into limestone rocks. In the 1950s, the Italian government relocated by force the population of the Sassi to modern areas of the city. Since 1993, the Sassi were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In Matera, there are many beautiful churches, of which we can mention the Cathedral of Matera, dedicated to the Madonna della Bruna and to Saint Eustace, the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, known also as the Church of San Pietro Caveoso, the Church of San Giovanni Battista and the Baroque Church of Sant'Agostino. Beside these, you can also visit the magnificent Palazzo dell'Annunziata, the Tramontano Castle or the beautiful Palazzo Lanfranchi, which houses the National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of Basilicata.

EVENTS: The most important events in Matera are the Feast of the Madonna della Bruna, held every year on July 2, and the Feast of Saint Eustace, dedicated to the patron saint of the city, which takes place every year on September 20. In 2019, Matera is the European Capital of Culture and many events will be organized on this occasion.

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Palazzo del Sedile
Matera, Basilicata

Palazzo del Sedile (Palace of the Seat) is an ancient building located in the square with the same name, in Matera. SHORT HISTORY Palazzo del Sedile was built in 1540 by the Archbishop Saraceno and was used since then as the seat of the Municip Read more [...]
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Church of San Francesco d’Assisi
Matera, Basilicata

The Church of San Francesco d’Assisi is a church built in Baroque style in the San Francesco Square, in Matera. The church is dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, after the saint visited Matera in 1218. SHORT HISTORY The current church w Read more [...]
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Church of Sant’Agostino
Matera, Basilicata

The Church of Sant’Agostino is a church dedicated to Saint Augustine, in Matera. The church and the adjacent convent dominate the Sasso Barisano from a rocky spur. SHORT HISTORY The convent was built in 1592 by the monks belonging to the Read more [...]
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Church of Santa Maria di Idris
Matera, Basilicata

The Church of Santa Maria di Idris is a rupestrian church in Matera, located near the Church of San Pietro Caveoso, dug in the large limestone rock of Monterrone, dominating from its height the entire Sasso Caveoso. SHORT HISTORY The church was Read more [...]
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Church of Saints Peter and Paul
Matera, Basilicata

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul (Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo), commonly known as the Church of San Pietro Caveoso, is a church in Matera, located in the southern ancient district of the city, Sasso Caveoso. SHORT HISTORY The church was Read more [...]
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Church of San Giovanni Battista
Matera, Basilicata

The Church of San Giovanni Battista (Church of St. John the Baptist) is one of the most important churches in Matera, located outside the walls of the historical center of the city, in Piazza San Giovanni. SHORT HISTORY A church was documented Read more [...]
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Alma Camere
Matera, Basilicata

Alma Camere is a guesthouse in Matera, located about 400 meters away from the historical center of the city and the Sassi. The Read more [...]
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Antica Torre di Iuso
Matera, Basilicata

Antica Torre di Iuso is a wonderful guesthouse in Matera, located in Via Duomo, about 90 meters from the Cathedral of Matera. Read more [...]
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Le Origini
Matera, Basilicata

Le Origini is a bed and breakfast in Matera, located close to the Church of Sant’Agostino, near the northern limit of the Sass Read more [...]
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Location Description

Places to SEE

Church of Santa Maria di Idris

Church of San Biagio

Places to SEE

Palazzo del Sedile

Church of San Francesco d’Assisi

Church of Sant’Agostino

Church of Santa Maria di Idris

Church of Saints Peter and Paul

Church of San Giovanni Battista

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Things to DO

Matera – The European Capital of Culture 2019

Things to DO

Matera – The European Capital of Culture 2019

Places to SLEEP

Alma Camere

Antica Torre di Iuso

Le Origini

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NEARBY CITIES

Matera

NEARBY CITIES

Matera