Things to do
HISTORY
Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it doesn’t take many chiesa visits to see why. Delve into the region’s Rupestrian past and more modern history at San Pietro Barisano. Before a trip into Byzantine art, Romanesque architecture and holy history in the Cathedral, including mural-covered crypts and some of the best panoramic views of the sassi.
LANDMARKS
Point your compass south of Matera and travel to Contrada Petrapenta, for a one-of-a-kind art gallery that has been dubbed the second Sistine Chapel. It’s here, inside the ‘Crypt of the Original Sin’, you’ll discover a collection of extraordinarily preserved cave frescoes that date from the 8th century – and tell the stories of the Old Testament. Look for the flowers, interwoven into the paintings.
FOOD & DRINK
Embrace the slow food pace in Matera, where simple ingredients become the stars of the menu – such as bread crafted to ancient recipes from the region’s durum wheat. Enjoy a summery cialledda, a take on panzanella that laces hardened bread with olive oil and harvest-fresh tomatoes. In autumn, share hearty bowls of crapiata – grains and pulses. While crisp sun-dried peppers, known locally as cruschi, are best enjoyed with a glass of local beer. Nowadays, microbreweries rub shoulders with traditional trattoria, giving a flavour of Matera then and now.
