For a great photograph of the sassi, take the Taranto–Laterza road (SS7) and follow signs for the chiese rupestri. This road takes you to the Belvedere, the location of the crucifixion in The Passion of the Christ, which has fantastic views of the plunging ravine and Matera. It's especially impressive at sunset.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.56 MILES
Dating in its earliest parts to the 12th century, St Peter's, the largest of Matera's rupestrian churches, overlays an ancient honeycomb of niches where…
0.63 MILES
This giant cistern, arguably as magnificent as a subterranean cathedral, is one of Matera's great sights. Lying under the city's main square with arches…
0.34 MILES
Highly recommended as a precursor to visiting the sassi themselves, this wonderful 25-minute multimedia exhibit, spread across three rooms of a 16th…
0.4 MILES
Set high up on a spur between the two natural bowls of the sassi, the wan, graceful exterior of the 13th-century Pugliese-Romanesque cathedral makes the…
4.47 MILES
A fascinating Benedictine site dating to the Lombard period, the Cripta del Peccato Originale (Crypt of Original Sin) houses well-preserved 8th-century…
Chiesa di Madonna delle Virtù & Chiesa di San Nicola del Greci
0.47 MILES
This monastic complex, one of the most important monuments in Matera, comprises dozens of chambers carved into the tufa limestone over two floors. Chiesa…
22.97 MILES
Not to be confused with the Tavole Palatine, the Parco Archeologico is a larger, if less immediately impressive collection of Metaponto ruins that…
0.63 MILES
Situated on a hill near the town centre, this 15th-century castle was left unfinished after the unpopular Count Tramontano, seemingly unaware that high…
Nearby Matera attractions
1. Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso
0.27 MILES
The only church in the sassi not dug into the tufa rock, Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso was originally built in 1300 and has a 17th-century Romanesque…
2. Chiesa di Santa Lucia alle Malve
0.27 MILES
Dating to the 8th century, when it was built as the Benedictine Order's first foothold in Matera, this cliff-face church has a number of 13th-century…
3. Casa-Grotta di Vico Solitario
0.28 MILES
For a glimpse of life in old Matera, visit this historic sasso off Via Bruno Buozzi. There's a bed in the middle, a loom, a room for manure and a section…
4. Chiesa di Santa Maria di Idris
0.29 MILES
Dug into the Idris rock, this church has an unprepossessing facade, but the narrow corridor communicating with the recessed church of San Giovanni in…
5. Monasterio di Santa Lucia e Agata alla Civita
0.29 MILES
A Benedictine convent from the 14th- and 18th-centuries, this church is now used to celebrate civil marriages. The views across the Gravina are…
6. Museo della Scultura Contemporanea
0.33 MILES
The setting of this fabulous museum of contemporary sculpture – deeply recessed caves and the frescoed rooms of the 16th-century Palazzo Pomarici – is as…
0.34 MILES
Highly recommended as a precursor to visiting the sassi themselves, this wonderful 25-minute multimedia exhibit, spread across three rooms of a 16th…
8. Museo Nazionale d'Arte Medievale e Moderna della Basilicata
0.39 MILES
The Palazzo Lanfranchi, built as a seminary incorporating an earlier church in the 17th century, now houses this intriguing museum of sacred and…
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