Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Matera (Italy). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Palazzo Lanfranchi, Sassi di Matera, and Castello Tramontano. Also, be sure to include Matera Cathedral in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Matera (Basilicata).
Table of Contents
Palazzo Lanfranchi
Museum. The Museo nazionale d'arte medievale e moderna della Basilicata is an art museum located inside the building Palazzo Lanfranchi, which is located in Piazzetta Pascoli, in the Historic Centre of Matera Basilicata, Italy. In front of the entrance, a sculpture by artist Kengiro Azuma titled La Goccia is exhibited.
In the past, the building that now hosts the museum - Palazzo Lanfranchi - used to be a seminary and, starting from 1864, it became the seat of the high school Liceo ginnasio Emanuele Duni, which now is located uptown.[1]
Address: Piazza Giovanni Pascoli, 1 - Palazzo Lanfranchi, 75100 Matera
Sassi di Matera
Famous preserved cave dwellings. The Sassi di Matera are two districts of the Italian city of Matera, Basilicata, well-known for their ancient cave dwellings inhabited since the Paleolithic period.
The "Sassi" have been described by Fodor's as "one of the most unique landscapes in Europe". Along with the park of the Rupestrian Churches, it was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.[2]
Address: Via Rosario 73 (Via S. Biagio), 75100 Matera MT, Matera
Castello Tramontano
Historical place in Matera, Italy. Castello Tramontano is a 16th century fortification in Matera.[3]
Address: Via Castello, Matera
Matera Cathedral
Also known as: Cattedrale di Matera
Landmark 13th-century cathedral. Matera Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Matera, Basilicata, Italy. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the designation of the Madonna della Bruna and to Saint Eustace. Formerly the seat of the Bishops, later Archbishops, of Matera, it is now the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina.[4]
Address: piazza duomo, 75100 Matera
Church of Saint Francis of Assisi
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi is a Baroque-style Catholic place of worship in Matera, located in the central Piazza San Francesco.
Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera
The Natural Historical Archaeological Park of the Rock Churches of Matera, also called the Murgia Materana Park, is a protected natural area in Basilicata established by Regional Law No. 11 of April 3, 1990. Since 2007, the definition "Sassi di Matera" in the UNESCO World Heritage List has been expanded to include "The Sassi and the Park of the Rock Churches of Matera."
Museo-laboratorio della Civiltà Contadina
Also known as: Museo-laboratorio della civiltà contadina
Museum in Matera, Italy. The Museo-laboratorio della Civiltà Contadina is an ethno-anthropological museum of Matera, situated in the ancient Sassi district. The Museum has been created by Donato Cascione and it’s managed by the homonym cultural association.[5]
Address: Via San Giovanni Vecchio, 60, 75100 Matera
Palazzo Lanfranchi
Palazzo Lanfranchi is the highest monument representing the seventeenth-century period in Matera.
The sculpture "The Drop" by Kengiro Azuma is placed in front of the gate.
Address: 1 Piazza Pascoli, Matera
Casa Noha
Museum
Address: Recinto Cavone 9, 75100 Matera
Musma
MUSMA is an Italian museum located in Matera and dedicated to sculpture. It was opened in 2006 and is housed in the Pomarici Palace, on the highest part of the Sassi district.
Address: Palazzo Pomarici - Via San Giacomo (Sasso Caveoso), Matera
St. John the Baptist Church
Also known as: Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista
Church
Address: Via San Biagio, 75100 Matera