A journey in Apulia also offers the chance to visit and appreciate the scenic beauty of Matera and Basilicata all year round. These two regions not only share borders but also a common historical, natural and cultural background.
Matera, European capital of culture in 2019, is well-known for its Sassi (Stones), ancient cave dwellings inhabited since the Palaeolithic period. They were inscribed on the list of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1993, along with the Park of the Rupestrian Churches. This extraordinary urban eco system is one of the oldest continually inhabited settlements in the world: here time has stopped and the past is still intact.
If you look at the Sassi from afar, they seem to have been sculpted into the rocks by nature, evoking Dante’s haunting images of the Divine Comedy or the archaic, rural, timeless landscapes of the Holy Land. It is no coincidence that they were used in many Christian-themed films, including The Gospel According St. Matthew (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1964), The Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson, 2004), The Nativity Story (Catherine Hardwicke, 2006) and Ben Hur (Timur Bekmambetov, 2016). Matera and its surroundings offer many activities: from trekking to the so-called "Angel’s flight", from romantic weekends to cultural programs. We offer itineraries that may cover one or more days, giving the chance to explore Matera from all perspectives. At the end of the day, you can enjoy the fascinating view of the town at sunset: it seems as a skillful artisan carved it into the stones, a living manger illuminated by the lights coming from these unique dwellings. The location is so evocative that every year, at Christmas, it is used to recreate the nativity scene with actors wearing historical costumes.
Surrounded by the Parco della Murgia Materana, Matera also offers natural itineraries through mysterious and evocative landscapes, amazing calcareous highland plateaus overlooking beautiful caves and endless green fields made of gorgeous centuries-old olive trees. Here we will lead you to the discovery of ancient paths and Rupestrian cave dwellings, where the stones themselves seem to speak to the traveler.
The history of Matera, going from the Paleolithic to the Middle Age, is written in the gravine (ravines), whose archaeological relics are preserved in the National Archeological Museum of Matera. Numerous entrenched villages and more than 150 Rupestrian Churches disseminated throughout the Murgia and the gravine make this area really amazing. You will have the chance to visit the crypts of these churches which are decorated with frescos and ornaments, conjuring up a timeless, archaic atmosphere in-between magic and spirituality.
Along with the past, Matera has also modern and innovative aspects: it is indeed one of the most dynamic centers of contemporary art. Its Museum of contemporary sculpture (MUSMA), the only “cave-museum” in the world, hosts the most important sculptural art collection in Italy. Furthermore, Matera is the inspiring muse of famous photographers such as Henry Cartier-Bresson, Mario Cresci and Franco Pinna.
We also recommend you to taste the typical local food and wine products while visiting the city, such as the Matera bread (PGI mark) or Matera wine (DOC mark - controlled designation of origin) in a tour of the many ‘masserie’ serving food from farm to table!
We are waiting for you to discover the magical and hypnotic atmosphere of Basilicata and Matera off the beaten tourist tracks!