Matera is a town of 59,368 inhabitants in the province of Matera, in Basilicata, Italy. It is the capital of its province.
The municipality covers 388.14 km², with a density of 153 inhabitants per km².
The nearest airport is Bari (BRI), about 54 km away as the crow flies. Read our guide to the airport.
Why visit
The Sassi, cave dwellings in the rock. Discover Basilicata
Things to see in Matera
The city of stones
Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Its Sassi, districts of cave dwellings carved into the limestone of a ravine, were once a symbol of poverty and are now a UNESCO site and one of the most extraordinary sights in Italy. It was European Capital of Culture in 2019.
What to see
The two Sassi, Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano, can be explored on foot along stairways and lanes. Visit a furnished cave house, the rock-hewn churches with their Byzantine frescoes, such as Santa Maria de Idris, and the cathedral on the Civita hill. From the belvedere of Murgia Timone, across the ravine, the view of the city is unforgettable, especially at sunset.
Food
Matera bread, crusco peppers, fava bean purée with chicory and cavatelli. Many restaurants and hotels are set inside the caves.
Around Matera
The Murgia park with its rupestrian churches, Alberobello, Bari and the Ionian beaches of Metaponto. Bari airport is about an hour away.
Matera on the map
Nearby towns
Where to stay in and around Matera
Tours and activities nearby
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