From the beautiful Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the beating heart of the Piano district, we will look out at the Belvedere Guerricchio, to enjoy the magnificent view of the Civita and the Sasso Barisano areas, which we will explore shortly, after having admired the numerous monuments present in the same square: the Palazzo dell’Annunziata , the Ferdinandea Fountain, the hypogea which are located below the floor level of the square, that are: the cave Church of the Santo Spirito (free visit) and the Palombaro Lungo (entrance with a small ticket) and, going up, the Church of San Domenico and the Church of Mater Domini.
We will continue along Via San Biagio, to reach Piazza San Giovanni Battista.
This square is overlooked by the former San Rocco Hospital and the beautiful Church of San Giovanni Battista, which we will visit (free entry).
We will continue our walk towards Via Santa Cesarea and we will enter the Sasso Barisano district, whose panoramic view will be offered to us as a preview on the roof of the largest rock church in Matera: the rock church of San Pietro al Barisano. On this terrace you can also see the Park of the Murgia Materana and the Cathedral.
We will go down Via D’Addozio and arrive in Via dei Fiorentini, which was one of the grabiglioni (ditches) of Matera in old times.
In a huge underground place, dug into the rock, we will visit the permanent exhibition of the Miniature Sassi: it is a very faithful reproduction of the Sassi of Matera, sculpted in the local stone by the Master Eustachio Rizzi, 12 square meters wide and weighing 35 quintals. In his studio we will also be able to appreciate other valuable works created by the same artist.
Now you can’t miss the visit of a cave house, which is one of the most beautiful ones in the Sassi districts, entitled Once upon a time (small entrance ticket). Inside the cave house, the life of the inhabitants of the Sassi will be illustrated as it took place until the 1960s, before they were evacuated by virtue of the first special law of 1952.
Then we will continue along Via dei Fiorentini towards Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
