Journey to Basilicata: The city of Matera

Matera - Basilicata has many places to offer to the traveler, and among the many destinations, surely the city of Matera is the one that deserves a visit for its uniqueness and history. The city of Matera rises to 401 meters and is located on a rocky outcrop, so characteristic that it is not only among the most beautiful places in Italy but has also been included among the UNESCO ones.

The feeling you get while walking through the stone alleys is that time has stopped, Matera is characterized by two districts: Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano, two imposing rock formations that divide the city and together with the Gravina stream create what can be defined an Italian canion. The peculiarity of Matera are its houses carved entirely into the rock, and even if for many years the place has been criticized and underestimated, it has been able to redeem itself in 2019 with the appointment of European Capital of Culture. In the highest part that separates the two stones we find the Cathedral of Matera, the first of the places of worship in the city, but you cannot miss a visit to the church of San Francesco D'Assisi and the convent of Sant'Agostino. Also obligatory is the stop in the main square, Piazza Veneto, which is famous because in the subsoil there is one of the important engineering works of Matera, the water tank entirely dug into the rock. In short, the city of stones, another name by which Matera is known, is the perfect place if you want to get lost in landscapes, history and culture.