Nine Thousand Years of Continuous Habitation
Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements on earth. The Sassi — two ravine districts of cave dwellings carved into the soft limestone of a deep gorge in Basilicata, southern Italy — have been occupied since the Palaeolithic era, roughly 9,000 years ago. People have been born, lived, and died in these caves through the Neolithic, the Bronze Age, the Greek colonisation of southern Italy, Roman rule, Byzantine monks, Norman conquests, the Bourbon kingdom, Italian unification, and into the present day. No other European city can make that claim with a straight face.
The strange arc of Matera’s modern history makes it even more compelling. In the 1950s, the Italian government forcibly relocated the Sassi’s residents, declaring the cave dwellings a national disgrace — “the shame of Italy” in Carlo Levi’s famous phrase. The caves sat empty and crumbling for decades. Then in 1993, UNESCO designated the Sassi a World Heritage Site. In 2019, Matera was named European Capital of Culture. The caves that were condemned as unfit for human habitation are now boutique hotels, restaurants, art galleries, and one of the most extraordinary urban landscapes in Europe. The turnaround is as dramatic as the setting.
For visitors, Matera offers something that Rome, Florence, and Venice cannot: a place where the deep past is not behind glass in a museum but built into the living fabric of the city, where you sleep in a cave that was carved by hand thousands of years ago and eat in a grotto restaurant that was once a medieval chapel. A guided tour of Matera is the best way to access this depth, because the Sassi’s layout is deliberately confusing — a labyrinth of stairways, tunnels, cave churches, and interconnected dwellings that resists casual exploration.
Understanding the Sassi: What You’re Actually Looking At
The Sassi di Matera consists of two districts — Sasso Barisano (facing roughly northwest, toward Bari) and Sasso Caveoso (facing south, more raw and less developed) — separated by a rocky spur topped by the cathedral. Together they form a vast amphitheatre of cave dwellings cascading down the walls of a limestone gorge, with the Gravina river canyon dropping away at the base.
What makes the Sassi architecturally unique is not just that people lived in caves — it’s the sophistication of the cave engineering. Over millennia, the inhabitants developed an integrated system of dwellings, cisterns, channels, and terraces that harvested rainwater, managed waste, regulated temperature, and maximised the limited space of the cliff face. The caves maintain a near-constant temperature of 15–18°C year-round — cool in summer, warm in winter — which is why they were comfortable habitations for thousands of years and why they now function as naturally climate-controlled hotels and restaurants.
Sasso Barisano is the more restored and commercially developed of the two districts. Most of the cave hotels, restaurants, and shops are here, and the streetscape — while still dramatically carved into the gorge — has a more polished, accessible feel. If you’re staying in a cave hotel, it’s likely in Sasso Barisano. The facades of the cave dwellings here were often built out from the cliff face over the centuries, creating a hybrid architecture where a conventional stone front conceals a cave interior.
Sasso Caveoso retains a rawer, more archaeological character. The cave dwellings here are less developed and more visibly ancient — some still show the marks of the tools that carved them. This is the district where the sense of deep time is strongest, and it’s where the most evocative photographs of Matera are taken. The church of Santa Maria de Idris, carved into a conical rock formation overlooking the gorge, is one of the most dramatically positioned churches in Italy.
The Civita — the rocky spur between the two Sassi districts — is the oldest settled area, topped by the Romanesque cathedral (built in the 13th century in Apulian-Romanesque style, with a wheel window and a stone facade that glows gold in late afternoon light). The Civita was the fortified heart of the original settlement, and the views from here across both Sassi districts and down into the Gravina gorge are the best panoramic perspectives in the city.
The Cave Churches: Byzantine Art Underground
Matera’s rupestrian (rock-cut) churches are among the most remarkable and least-known collections of medieval religious art in Europe. Over 150 cave churches have been identified in and around the Sassi and the Gravina gorge, dating from the 8th to the 13th centuries, many decorated with Byzantine and Latin frescoes that survive in various states of preservation.
These churches were carved by Benedictine and Basilian monks who settled in the gorge during the early medieval period, attracted by the same qualities that drew Palaeolithic settlers — natural shelter, defensible terrain, and the soft tufa limestone that could be shaped with hand tools. The monks carved chapels, crypts, and hermitages into the rock, decorating them with frescoes depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary, saints, and biblical scenes in the distinctive flat, frontal style of Byzantine iconography.
Santa Lucia alle Malve is the most accessible and best-preserved, located in Sasso Caveoso with frescoes dating to the 8th–12th centuries. San Pietro Barisano is the largest rupestrian church in Matera, with a carved facade that looks like a conventional church but opens into a vast underground space. Santa Maria de Idris and the connected San Giovanni in Monterrone share a rock formation overlooking the gorge, with frescoes in varying states of preservation and one of the most dramatic positions of any church in southern Italy.
The cave churches are scattered throughout the Sassi and many are easy to miss or impossible to access without knowing which doors to try. A guided tour that includes the rupestrian churches is strongly recommended — the guides carry keys to churches that aren’t publicly accessible and provide the art-historical context that makes the frescoes meaningful rather than merely old.
How to Choose the Right Tour
Walking tours of the Sassi are the essential starting point. These typically run 2–3 hours and cover both Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso, the Civita and cathedral area, key cave churches, and a reconstructed traditional cave dwelling (casa grotta) that shows how families lived in the caves until the 1950s evacuation. The guide’s value is in navigation (the Sassi’s stairways and passages are deliberately maze-like), historical narration (connecting the cave dwellings to the 9,000-year occupation), and access to locked churches and interiors.
Food tours are a strong second experience. Basilicata’s cuisine is rustic, intense, and unlike anything else in Italy — peperoni cruschi (dried and fried sweet peppers), pane di Matera (a massive, DOP-protected sourdough bread baked in wood-fired ovens), orecchiette pasta with turnip tops, lamb and goat dishes, caciocavallo cheese aged in caves, and the local Aglianico red wine, which is one of southern Italy’s most underrated grape varieties. A food tour takes you to bakeries, cave restaurants, and local producers that you wouldn’t find by walking the tourist-facing streets.
Cave church and rupestrian art tours are specialist experiences for visitors with an interest in medieval art and religious history. These focus specifically on the rock-cut churches, spending more time with the frescoes and the monastic history than a general Sassi walking tour allows. Some tours extend into the Gravina gorge itself, visiting churches and hermitages carved into the canyon walls that are inaccessible without a guide.
Sunset and photography tours take advantage of Matera’s extraordinary light. The Sassi face roughly west and south, which means the late afternoon sun turns the limestone gold and orange, casting deep shadows into the cave openings and creating one of the most photogenic urban landscapes in Europe. The viewpoints from across the Gravina gorge — reachable by a path from the Belvedere or from the Parco della Murgia Materana on the opposite rim — give you the classic panoramic view of the entire Sassi amphitheatre. A photography-focused tour times the route for the best light at each viewpoint and knows which angles avoid the scaffolding and construction that’s ongoing in parts of the Sassi.
Day trips from Bari, Lecce, or elsewhere in Puglia are common, since Matera sits at the border of Basilicata and Puglia. The drive from Bari is about an hour. These day trip tours typically include a Sassi walking tour with cave church visits and free time for lunch. If you’re based in Puglia and can’t overnight in Matera, a day trip gives you the essential experience — though an overnight stay is recommended because the Sassi at night (dramatically lit from below, nearly empty of tourists) is a different and arguably more atmospheric experience than the daytime visit.
Staying in the Sassi
One of Matera’s most distinctive offerings is the chance to sleep in a cave. Dozens of cave dwellings have been converted into hotels, ranging from simple guesthouses to luxury properties where the original rock walls and vaulted ceilings are paired with contemporary furnishings and modern bathrooms. The natural temperature regulation of the caves means they’re cool in summer and warm in winter without heavy air conditioning or heating — a practical benefit alongside the atmospheric one.
The experience of sleeping in a space carved by hand thousands of years ago, waking to the sound of church bells echoing across the gorge, and stepping out onto a terrace overlooking the Sassi is qualitatively different from staying in a conventional hotel in the modern town above. If your budget allows it, at least one night in a cave hotel should be part of your Matera visit.
When to Visit
Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) are ideal. Temperatures are comfortable for the extensive walking that Matera’s steep terrain demands, the light is excellent for photography, and the tourist numbers are manageable. April and May bring wildflowers to the Gravina gorge, and the surrounding Murgia plateau is green rather than the parched brown of summer.
Summer (July–August) is hot — Basilicata’s inland location means temperatures regularly exceed 35°C, and the exposed limestone of the Sassi radiates heat. The steep stairways become physically taxing in the midday sun. If you visit in summer, plan your walking tours for early morning or late afternoon and use the middle of the day for cave interiors, cave churches, and cave restaurants (all of which are naturally cool).
Winter (November–March) is quiet, cool, and atmospheric. The tourist numbers drop dramatically, the Sassi have a stark, moody quality in the low winter light, and the cave hotels feel particularly cozy. Some restaurants and attractions reduce hours, but the core experience is fully available year-round.
Practical Tips
Wear serious walking shoes. The Sassi’s surfaces are uneven limestone — smooth, slippery when wet, and relentlessly steep. Proper shoes with grip are non-negotiable. Sandals, fashion shoes, and thin-soled trainers will make the extensive stair-climbing painful and potentially dangerous.
Bring water and sun protection in warm months. Shade is limited on many of the Sassi’s stairways and terraces, and the reflected heat from the limestone amplifies the sun’s effect. Carry at least a litre of water for a 2–3 hour walking tour.
Don’t try to navigate the Sassi without a guide on your first visit. The layout is intentionally labyrinthine — a defensive feature that served the settlement well for millennia but frustrates modern visitors trying to follow a map. A guided tour on your first day gives you the orientation to explore independently on subsequent visits.
Cross the Gravina gorge for the panoramic view. The classic photograph of Matera — the full Sassi amphitheatre cascading down the gorge — is taken from the opposite rim. The path from the Belvedere viewing platform crosses a small bridge and leads to the Parco della Murgia Materana, where viewpoints along the gorge edge give you the complete picture. The late afternoon light from this angle is the most photographed view in southern Italy outside the Amalfi Coast.
Matera is a gateway to wider Basilicata. The region is one of Italy’s least-visited and most rewarding — the Pollino National Park, the ghost town of Craco, the coastal town of Maratea on the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the archaeological site of Metapontum are all accessible from Matera and see a fraction of the visitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to Matera?
The nearest airport is Bari Karol Wojtyla (about 65 kilometres). From Bari, the FAL regional train (Ferrovie Appulo Lucane) runs to Matera in roughly 90 minutes, or the drive takes about an hour. From other Puglia cities (Lecce, Alberobello, Polignano a Mare), Matera is 1–2 hours by car. There is no high-speed rail connection — Matera is one of only two European Capitals of Culture that lacks a mainline train station, which contributes to its relative quietness compared to better-connected Italian cities.
How many days does Matera need?
Two nights is the sweet spot. One full day covers a comprehensive Sassi walking tour, cave church visits, and the panoramic viewpoint across the Gravina. A second day allows for a food tour, deeper exploration of the district you found most compelling, and the experience of the Sassi at different times of day — particularly the dramatic night lighting. A single day trip from Bari or Puglia is possible and worthwhile, but you’ll miss the evening and morning atmosphere that many visitors cite as Matera’s most memorable quality.
Is Matera expensive?
Less than you’d expect for a UNESCO World Heritage site and former European Capital of Culture. Matera remains considerably cheaper than Rome, Florence, Venice, or the Amalfi Coast for accommodation, dining, and tours. Cave hotels range from modest to luxury, with genuine cave-dwelling guesthouses available at mid-range prices. Restaurant prices are in line with southern Italy generally — significantly below northern Italian and major city pricing.
Is Matera accessible for people with limited mobility?
The Sassi are physically demanding — steep stairways, uneven surfaces, and significant elevation changes between the upper town and the gorge floor. Wheelchair access within the Sassi is extremely limited. Visitors with mobility restrictions can view the Sassi from the Civita and upper-level viewpoints without descending into the cave districts, and some cave churches and restaurants at upper levels are accessible, but a full Sassi exploration requires fitness and sure-footedness.
Is Matera safe?
Very safe. Matera has negligible violent crime and low petty crime compared to larger Italian cities. The Sassi districts are well-lit at night and feel safe to walk at all hours. The main practical risk is the physical terrain — twisted ankles on the limestone stairways are more common than any crime-related incident.
