Situated in a tiny canyon, Matera is a city as well as a province of the Basilicata region of southern Italy. It is one of the most interesting places, pregnant with a handful of unusual as well as memorable tourist spots. Located on the southern fringes of Basilicata, this remote and sparsely visited city is famous for its far-reaching cave-dwelling districts, which are known as the Sassi. There is the option for the adventurous tourists to stay in the caves and take the age old lanes along the astounding of the steep cliffs impregnate by these mysterious caves and get in terms of the history that is associated with this fascinating place.
The main places to visit in Matera include the ancient town of Sassi. Other places of tourist interest include a number of churches and monasteries. In fact, the city is the home to a large as well as a diverse collection of architectural splendor, and a number of rupestrian churches that are carved out of the soft volcanic rocks that the region is rich in.
The most important of them is the Matera Cathedral, which is devoted to Santa Maria della Bruna. Other important structures include the statues of Maria della Bruna, Paul and Saint Peter.
The other two most notable churches of Matera are the church of San Pietro Caveoso and that of San Pietro Barisano. The main historical museum of the town is the Museo Nazionale Ridola. Then there is the Palazzo Lanfranchi, which is the home of the Museo Nazionale d'Arte Medievale e Moderna della Regione Basilicata, which is a famous art museum. There are the Centro Carlo Levi and the Museo della Scultura Contemporanea Matera.
As already mentioned, Matera is home to some illustrious cave reconstructions, which include the Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario, and the Casa Grotta del Barisano, the cave in the Sasso Barisano area.
Because the city of Matera was built on a deep ravine that is called Gravina of Matera, the ravine cuts the entire territory into two halves. The ancient dwellers of the area were innovative enough to build some fantastic cisterns and an impeccable set up of water channels.
The largest cistern was found under the Piazza Vittorio Veneto. The cistern, with its rock-hard pillars that are engraved in the rock and the vault that is more than fifteen meters in height, is a real water cathedral that can be navigated by boat. Like the other cisterns, this particular one was also built to collect and store rain water, which was then filtered and drained in a controlled way to the Sassi.
The best and the most effortless way of getting to Matera is by plane that will get the tourists till the Bari Airport, which is 40 miles from Matera and is the closest one. From the airport, private rail and bus services ferry passengers to Matera. The Bari - Matera railway line is operated by the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane.
Hai una proprietà in Italia? Pubblica un annuncio
