European capital of culture 2019, Matera is a city that is being rediscovered more and more each day, revealing its extraordinary beauty. A guide to what to see in Matera and the surrounding area, doable even in just a few days.
"Anyone who sees Matera cannot fail to be struck by it, so expressive and moving is its sorrowful beauty," wrote Carlo Levi of Matera, the city in Basilicata that for years was considered Italy's shame but has now been named European capital of culture 2019. A consecration that only confirms what the people of Basilicata — and beyond — already know: Matera is a unique, fragile and marvellous city. Our recommendations for an itinerary in Matera and the surrounding area, doable even in just a few days — places to visit and experiences to have in this jewel of a city, to discover it and learn to love it.
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As with all of Matera's wonders, the Musma has to be sought out: it is located in the Sasso Caveoso, in a truly evocative part of the city but one that is somewhat labyrinthine. From the very first moment you realise you are in a truly unique place — it is, in fact, the most important Italian museum entirely dedicated to sculpture. A form of art that is often undervalued in our country, yet here it has spaces entirely dedicated to it, and they are incredibly atmospheric. The museum extends through Palazzo Pomarici (dating back to the sixteenth century) and also through the large excavated hypogea, so the vast collection of artworks illustrating the history of Italian and international sculpture from the late nineteenth century to the present day — through sculptures, ceramics, medals, jewellery, drawings, graphic works and artists' books — gains even greater power thanks to the atmosphere created by the cave-like settings.
It is an emotionally engaging and at times mysterious journey: the advice is not to follow the museum map but to let yourself be guided by the light filtering in from above, from the courtyard, from the openings in the Sassi, and to be surprised by whatever it illuminates. In this way you will appreciate not only the sculptures but also the location, which is itself a work of art. What strikes you is the silence, the sounds that sometimes accompany certain works, and the interplay of light and shadow created by being inside the Sassi. A magnificent experience, one to be lived in order to learn to appreciate sculpture in its most varied forms and to understand the importance of the symbiosis between place and artwork. The Musma is currently the only "cave museum" in the world, one of Italy's exceptional treasures to discover and marvel at. The museum is closed on Mondays; from October to March it opens from 10am to 2pm, and from April to September also from 4pm to 8pm.
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Matera is not just the Sassi; there are many characteristic corners in the upper town too — the Civita, as the locals call it — which we recommend visiting above all at certain times of day. You notice straight away that light matters enormously here: even in winter Matera is often bathed in sunshine, and the sun on both the Sassi and certain monuments in the city makes everything more evocative. Exploring it in the first light of dawn is the best option: the locals have not yet woken up to start their working day, and the intrepid early-rising tourists are always few.
A recommended itinerary is one that will lead you to discover the Sassi, the lower part of the city, only after you have seen what the upper part of Matera has to offer: the church of San Biagio is a small gem, though it is only open on 3 February to celebrate its patron saint; continuing towards the centre you come across the church of San Giovanni Battista, a harmonious blend of Romanesque, Gothic and Arab elements; in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, tucked in a corner and lit up in its ochre hue when the sun catches it, stands the church of San Domenico with its adjoining convent — at the centre of the rose window here a dog is depicted holding a torch in its mouth, the symbol of the Dominicans (domini canes, the dog guarding the Lord: the torch represents faith).
Even for those who are not passionate about art, a mandatory stop is Palazzo Lanfranchi, home of the Museo nazionale d'arte medievale e moderna. Here you will find Carlo Levi's painting Lucania 61, essential for truly understanding this region full of contradictions. Lucania 61 was commissioned by the Committee for the centenary celebrations of the Unification of Italy to represent Basilicata at the exhibition of the same name, inaugurated in Turin in May 1961. Carlo Levi was at the time the artist best placed to describe the region, and for the occasion he decided to create this enormous painting (18.50 by 3.20 metres), in which nothing of the entire Lucanian world is missing.
After this brief itinerary, you can finally visit the Sassi di Matera without a guide, on foot and even without maps. Even if you lose your way, the important thing — to return to the "other" Matera — is to head uphill. For a different atmosphere and different colours, you must wait for sunset. This time, however, there will be plenty of people around.
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The Cripta del peccato originale is a must-see, both because it houses a cycle of frescoes that are a testament to Benedictine-Beneventan art dating from the eighth and ninth centuries, the work of the artist known as the Painter of the Flowers of Matera, and because the route to reach it from the city on clear days offers captivating views. To visit this place, which some have called the Sistine Chapel of cave art, a few basic details are needed: access is by prior booking only, it is located outside the city and is reachable exclusively by car (there are currently no shuttle services from Matera). You can find all the details here. On arrival, you are treated to a beautiful view of the Gravina stream, as well as the unmistakable evidence of the region's mobility problems represented by the iron bridge that forms part of the Ferrovie dello Stato Ferrandina-Matera railway line, built between 1954 and 1959 and never completed.
The crypt was only "discovered" in the 1960s, having previously been used as a shelter for animals, and the frescoes came to light only after a lengthy restoration. Despite only partial recovery of the paintings, they remain a deeply evocative testament — especially if you can manage to picture this sacred place as it must have originally been. Santa Lucia alle Malve is located in the Sasso Caveoso and is the first female monastic settlement of the Benedictine Order, dating back to the eighth century, and the most important in the history of the city of Matera. Many people get lost trying to reach it, but when you finally find yourself in front of the small portal carved into the rock, you are left in wonder: the location is magical in itself, and then the ancient frescoes — some as much as a millennium old — are superbly preserved, having been executed with a precise technique known in the Matera area thanks to the many master fresco painters who were active there over the centuries.
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You cannot truly know a city and its people without eating what is typical of the place, and so understanding Matera also means immersing yourself in its traditions — and these often revolve around food. For the people of Matera, eating is a serious matter. Every occasion has its own traditional dish, and as you wander through the c