Matera tourist guide and advice on what to do, what to see, where to sleep and where to eat.
- Sassi di Matera history and information
- Sassi di Matera what to see and places of interest
- Sasso Caveoso
- Sasso Barisano
- Sassi di Matera Cathedral
- Matera underground aqueduct
- Sassi of Matera Casagrotta
- Sassi di Matera where to eat and what to eat
- Sassi di Matera where to stay
- Sassi di Matera pictures and photos
Sassi di Matera history and information
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993, i Sassi of Matera constitute the historical center of Matera in Basilicata.
They include The Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano which together with the Civita district they formed, at the time, the urban core.
According to what UNESCO has declared, this is the most exceptional and intact example oftroglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted to its soil and ecosystem.
The first settlement dates back to Palaeolithic, while the following illustrate a significant number of phases in human history.
Today it is a very popular destination for tourists but above all for filmmakers in fact, ai Sassi of Matera, very important films have been shot such as "Christ's passion” by Mel Gibson and “The Gospel according to Matthew”By Pier Paolo Pasolini.
Sassi di Matera what to see and places of interest
Visit the Sassi of Matera it is something spectacular, it is a journey to discover the first troglodyte settlements in the Mediterranean.
Matera where to eat well and spend little
Being rich in history there are many things to visit that will leave you amazed by the visual impact alone.
Sasso Caveoso
As already said the Sasso Caveoso it is one of the two "Sassi di Matera" and is an ancient district carved into the limestone and is structured on several levels.
Its vertical structure is made up of terraces, stairways and streets that connect the various places of social gathering of the Sassi.
In the past the houses were of caves then, subsequently, the so-called "lamioni”Which are nothing more than rooms with a barrel vault which had the purpose of extending the surface of the cave towards the outside.
Sasso Barisano
Very similar to the Caveoso one, in Sasso Barisano the facades of the buildings are much more refined from an architectural point of view.
It was presumably thought that this difference arose due to a greater availability of capital by the ancient inhabitants of this area.
Sassi di Matera Cathedral
La Cathedral of the Sassi of Matera it is built in the Apulian-Romanesque style whose main facade is characterized by a rose window with 16 rays surmounted byArchangel Michael while, below, from a round-arched portal with a statue of the Madonna della Bruna.
Inside, the cathedral houses a sixteenth-century nativity scene in stone, a thirteenth-century fresco of the Madonna della Bruna, an altar dedicated to St. John of Matera with a sarcophagus containing the remains of the Saint and the fresco by Final judgement.
The bell tower visible throughout the historic center has a quadrangular shape, has 7 bells tuned in E flat and is 52 meters high.
Matera underground aqueduct
The historic center of Matera, in the subsoil, is crossed by an aqueduct dug into the rock made up of immense water cisterns so large that they have been defined as "water cathedrals".
This complex water collection system starts from the hill of De Montigny and crosses the entire historic center from the other downwards.
Sassi of Matera Casagrotta
Typical house of the Sassi of Matera casagrotta it is partly excavated in the limestone rock and partly built with the excavated materials.
In the overwhelming majority of cases the houses were abandoned after the special law wanted by De Gasperi in 1952 and since the 80s they were restored.
Other places to visit ai Sassi of Matera are the church of St. John Baptist, Crypt of Original Sin, Monterrone cliff, Church of Santa Maria de Idris and church of San Giovanni in Monterrone.
Sassi di Matera where to eat and what to eat
Despite the Basilicata does not have a known gastronomic tradition is closely linked to traditional cuisine and old customs.
Its culinary strength is based on flavors of the earth as cold cuts, meats, cheese e Easter home made.
At the Sassi di Matera you can eat well in characteristic restaurants such as the restaurant "The Lucanian abundance"Located in the Sasso Caveoso area or at the"Osteria Pico”Which offers the most gluttonous palates another example of typical Lucanian cuisine.
Obviously there are many others restaurants e Inns capable of satisfying all types of palates.
To get to know others restaurants, pizzerias, osterie e Inns of the city (tourist menus) consult Matera where to eat well and spend little.
Sassi di Matera where to stay
Being a very attractive tourist area, sleeping in the Sassi di Matera is very simple.
Both within the stones and in the neighboring areas, at a very short distance, there are Hotel e bad & breakfast for all tastes and budgets, you just need to know how to choose.
Lo Forbookinglovers.com staff wishes everyone a good stay in this wonderful land.
Sassi di Matera pictures and photos
