This tour includes the entire old center of Matera, with all the monuments and attractions present in the previous itineraries. Regarding the paid sites to visit, you will naturally be free to decide whether to enter or not, but remember that, almost always, the entrance ticket will be discounted in the presence of the tour guide.
If you choose this Grand Tour, we could possibly divide it into two parts, interspersed with a lunch/snack break.
Furthermore, the Grand Tour reserves you additional panoramic views of Matera.
From the viewpoint of Piazza Vittorio Veneto we will look out to admire a beautiful glimpse of the Sasso Barisano district, which we will visit in the second part of the tour, and of the Civita district, with its wonderful Cathedral, dedicated to the Madonna della Bruna and Sant’Eustachio, patron saints of Matera.
In this square there are many interesting monuments: the Palazzo dell’Annunziata, the Ferdinandea Fountain, the Church of San Domenico, the Church of the Mater Domini. We will visit the cave church of the Santo Spirito (free entry), located just below the level of the square and possibly visit the Palombaro Lungo, a huge and ancient cistern (entrance ticket required).
We will continue towards the characteristic Via delle Beccherie, to reach the beautiful Piazza del Sedile, and then to Via Duomo, where we will appreciate another breathtaking panorama. Arriving in Piazza Duomo, film set of “No time to die”, the last movie of the “007” saga, another fantastic panorama awaits us and, from Via Riscatto, it will be possible to visit the Cathedral (small entrance ticket).
We will descend through the suggestive Via Muro, set of the movie The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson, towards the Sasso Caveoso district, enchanted, once again, by a different and incredible panorama: the one of the Park of the Murgia Materana and the Monterrone, the spur of rock in which the two rock churches of Santa Maria de Idris and San Giovanni in Monterrone are located.
Having arrived at the bottom of the spectacular Piazza San Pietro Caveoso, where another scene from the movie No time to die was filmed, it will be possible to visit the Church of San Pietro al Caveoso for free, after which we will head towards the cave church of Santa Lucia alle Malve (small entrance fee).
We will continue with a visit to an archaeological area, located in a further panoramic point, the so-called Barbarian Cemetery, which is located right on the vault of the same cave church of Santa Lucia alle Malve.
From here, continuing the exploration of the Sasso Caveoso area, we will climb the small peak of Monterrone, an excellent panoramic point, which will give us new fairy-tale views of the city.
The walk will continue through the characteristic alleys and small squares or neighborhoods of the Sasso Caveoso area and you will also be able to visit, if necessary, the Palombaro del Caveoso, a large nineteenth-century cistern, with the adjoining House of San Giovanni da Matera and the Church of Purgatorio Vecchio (small entrance ticket).
We will therefore easily go up throw Via Buozzi, one of the ancient grabiglioni (ditches) of Matera, onto the Piano area, in Piazza Pascoli, to admire Palazzo Lanfranchi, where the National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art is located, and yet another fantastic view of the Sasso Caveoso.
Second part:
From Piazza Pascoli we will proceed along Via Ridola and pass in front of the delightful Church of Santa Chiara (free entry), whose former convent has been home to the National Archaeological Museum since 1911. After a few steps, we will encounter the redundant façade of the Church of Purgatorio Nuovo and the Church of San Francesco d’Assisi (free entry). The latter stands on the square of the same name, under which numerous hypogea are excavated. Then we will reach Via del Corso and Piazza Vittorio Veneto, heading towards Via San Biagio, to visit the beautiful Church of San Giovanni Battista (free entry).
Then, we will continue in the Sasso Barisano area, looking out from the roof of the church of San Pietro al Barisano, which is the largest cave church in Matera, a position that will give us a new magnificent panorama.
We will arrive in Via dei Fiorentini where we will visit a place, completely carved into the rock, where the permanent exhibition of miniature Sassi is set up (free entry). It is a faithful sculptural reproduction of the Sassi quarters, sculpted in the local rock by the artist Eustachio Rizzi. Here there is also his personal studio containing many other valuable works. Opposite there is the cave house C’era una volta, which is one of the most interesting, beautiful and characteristic cave houses of Matera, where you can see how people lived in the Sassi areas until the 1960s (small entrance ticket), when, by virtue of the first special law of 1952, they evacuated the ancient districts.
Now, depending on the guide, the visit can take place in two different ways:
- Walk in Sasso Barisano, along Via dei Fiorentini to return to the Piano area, in Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
- Walk along the amazing Via Madonna delle Virtù, a very suggestive panoramic street, a sort of Lungogravina, which connects the bottom of the Barisano to the bottom of the Caveoso, up to Piazza San Pietro Caveoso. From here, going up throw Via Buozzi, you can easily arrive onto the Piano area, in Piazza Pascoli.
