Art & Architecture of Puglia – Matera

After a day in Bari and then in Barletta and Trani, our Art & Architecture of Puglia tour turns its attention away from medieval churches and sacred art, and toward the ancient vernacular (of course, there will be churches). So today, we step outside of Puglia and into the town of Matera (pop 59,448 in 2025), across the border in the region of Basilicata.

The town's settlement dates to the eighth millennium BC, along the western edge of the Gravine di Matera, where gaps in the exposed, stratified cliff-face provide ready-made living spaces. This area of town is called the Sassi di Matera.

The bus drops us at the Piazza della Visitazione, near an enormous construction site. It looks like the town is installing or expanding its bus and rail station (Matera has only slow regional service; instead of a two-hour round-trip by bus, it's three and a half hours by train). From here, Matera looks like any generic Italian town. We start east, down on a narrow commercial street toward the Piazza Vittorio Veneto.

In front of the Banco di Napoli, a work crew is assembling the town's Christmas tree. Around the Piazza, there are two older-looking churches: the Chiesa di San Domenico (13th century) has a gorgeous rosone, with Agnus Dei in the center and San Michele Arcangelo at the top; and the Chiesa di Materdomini (17th century) with a delicate stairway to its belfry. But there is nothing out of the ordinary, especially compared to Bari or Barletta.

 

 

 

 

As the group dissolved into nearby cafes for our scheduled 'loo' break, we find the Belvedere Luigi Guerricchio (named for artist Luigi Guerricchio). Like a time machine, the three arches next door to the Materdomini lead out to a view of the Sassi. And we realize that the sunken center of the Piazza functions as a portal to the Sassi, too.

It seems strange that we could be so close to this 'other' town and not know. This might go back to the charge that Matera was once considered the "shame of Italy" (quote attr to Palmiro Togliatti, 1948), that the town and nation turned its back on the old neighborhood until it was rebuilt.

 

We meet a local guide who takes us past the ever-growing Christmas tree, and down Via della Beccherie. We make a left at a stepped path and follow it down to the Via Tre Corone, and the streetscape dissolves from banks, cafes, and souvenir stalls to stone paths and steep stairs. The cobblestone 'streets' are clean and dotted with planters. When we arrive at the parapet, the view opens to the north.

Interestingly, the local guide tells us not only about the "shame", but also about the insanely high prices paid to rent or buy property and the many movies shot here (that street was closed for James Bond and over there for Passion of the Christ). She disapproves of the current cost of living in the Sassi but is thrilled by the 'fame' brought by the town's casting – not sure how to reconcile these connected but opposing sentiments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following our guide through the layered streets, we see little evidence of 'cave' living. While they are set on steep slopes, the buildings look like stock stone buildings built into a hillside, like many old Portuguese villages or, French, or Spanish. We see small gardens, laundry, and feral cats – all very familiar.

Our guide takes us south and into the Casa Grotta del Vicinato. The interior is cut into the 'living rock', but the space is obviously sanitized. Tools and pots are arranged like a museum exhibit, not a lived-in space. In the small entry terrace, the Casa offers lacey cut tile and assorted cuccù (terracotta whistles in the shape of a chicken) for sale – again, very reminiscent of the galo in Portugal.

Past the Casa the road opens, and we step down to the Via Bruno Buozzi, a widened street that appears to have been built to provide some car and truck access to the Sassi. From here, we can look up to the outcrop with the large cross that marks the Chiesa di Santa Maria di Idris (12th century).

 

 

 

 

We cross the Via Bruno Buozzi and climb up to the Rione Malve, a broad, flat vantage point with views of the caves across the Gravine. On this side, with the Santa Maria di Idris on our left, we see cave dwellings and homes built into the strata. On our right is another small casa with facade made from living rock – we had hoped to see more of this type of construction throughout the area.

We descend into a slot between a wall and a boulder to lower grade and find the broken elevation of the Chiesa di Santa Lucia alle Malve (11th century). The church is laid out like a tiny basilica, a nave with two aisles.

The frescos are beautifully conserved, with rich, saturated pigments. "San Gregorio" greets us on the first 'column, and the "Madonna del Latte" is on the chapel wall behind him (both attr Rinaldo da Taranto, 13th century). The "San Michele Arcangelo" stands in the neighboring chapel atop a serpent. All three are wonderfully detailed with Byzantine patterned robes and jewels. On the opposite wall, near the entrance, "San Benedetto" and "San Giovanni Battista" wear their modest attire and date from the same era.

 

 

 

 

Immediately on our left is a small room, which the visitor's guide calls a focagna (kitchen) with partial images of "Santa Caterina" (14th century) and "Santa Lucia" (dated 1537). On the far wall, the frescos are fragments, but still compelling. There is a "Deposizione" scene next to "San Nicola" above the "Incoronazione di Maria".

The cut stone niches and vaults around the chancel and the lateral chapels are fantastic, but no frescos remain in this area. Particularly curious are the tondi shaved into the ceiling.

Turning into the right aisle (Epistle), we find the sagrestia and an altar with a decorated niche and a statue of "Santa Lucia" (with eyes & martyr's palm). The niche is surrounded by frescos of (left to right): "Santa Lucia", "Sant'Agata" (pinchers & breast), and "Santa Caterina" (dated 1690). On the side of the arch to the left is "San Vitus" (with dog & repainted face, 14th century).

A withered portrait of "San Leonardo" is on the internal wall of the facade. A sixteenth century "Madonna col Bambino" adorns the back side of the opposite arcade and includes a teeny image of the patron at the lower left. We surmise that the moisture from the external wall has made conservation of San Leonardo difficult, but the other frescos look so good, even the fragmentary ones, we can forgive the aggressive cleanliness of this chiesa rupestri (cave church).

 

 

 

 

We ascend a curving path, the Calata Domenico Ridola, to the Belvedere Piazzetta Pascoli, with more stunning views of the valley. The Belvedere runs along the side of the Museo Nazionale (Palazzo Lanfranchi, 17th century) and into the Piazzetta, where there are shops and restaurants.

We also pass the Chiesa del Purgatorio (18th century) festooned with skulls and skeletons. Returning on the Via Del Corso to the Piazza Vittorio Veneto, we pause our tour to have lunch.

 

 

 

Before the group reconvenes in the Piazza Vittorio Veneto, we decide to explore the north side of the Sassi area. From the Piazza, we walk to the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista (13th-18th centuries) and down to the Via San Rocco (top image).

Looking at the south slope, of course, the light is not nearly as striking as this morning's view. But the patina on the buildings gives the landscape a pleasing, 'honest' look. The vistas are more varied, and the vertical access also seems easier, with wider stairs.

 

 

 

After lunch, we retrace our way to the Via della Beccherie. The workers are more than halfway finished with the Christmas tree. We cross the Piazza del Sedile onto the Via Duomo. When we saw it from the Belvedere Guerricchio, the Cattedrale seemed so far away, but the walk from there is shockingly brief.

The Cattedrale di Matera (della Madonna della Bruna e di Sant'Eustachio, 13th century) commands the eastern edge of the 'bowl'. The tall edge of the piazza forms its own belvedere facing west. Without the Cattedrale to provide a focus, the panorama is a fractured jumble of blocks and wedges angled in every direction. 

As at the Chiesa di San Domenico, the rosone is held in place by three 'support' figures and topped by San Michele on the serpent. The columns of the 'arcaded' gable are similarly held by twelve kneeling figures (Apostles?). Thin columns continue down the sides of the main gable, topped with large birds (eagles?), then a griffin pinning down a man, then a seated telamone.

The archivolts over the central portal include twisted rope, basket weave, and spiraling vines with floral motifs, all remarkably crisp. The Madonna della Bruna stands in the lunette, with San Pietro (keys) and San Paolo (sword, broken).

 

 

 

 

We enter the Cattedrale from the north transept, through the Diocesan museum (MATA). In what may be the old sagrestia, we find a well-tended "Presepe" (Altobello Persio, 1535) – a Nativity scene within a 'cave-like' setting, perhaps mirroring the Sassi. The roof of the cave is populated by the dogs and sheep of local herders, as well as the Magi and their musicians. High above is a castle with another 'griffin on man' figurine. The artist has made the Natale a local event.

Richly decorated portraits of saints cover the vaulted ceiling. In front of the Presepe, a glass floor reveals the ancient foundations of the previous church with faded frescos around the apse.

When we enter the main space of the church, the first chapel on our right is covered in a coffered, false-perspective barrel vault, with the Dio Padre at the center. The sculptural group in the altar represents the Annunciazione, while a Pietà is shown in the lunette (Giulio Persio, c1581); Santa Caterina (wheel) is on the right and San Rocco is on the left.

In the high altar is a portrait of the La Madonna con il Bambino e Santi, the Madonna above a group of saints (Fabrizio Santafede, c1580). In the ceiling above the nave are three canvases that include: "Visione di Sant'Eustachio"(east tondi, w stag), the "Visitazione" (center) and "San Giovanni da Matera"(west tondi, Giambattista Santoro, c1844) – San Giovanni's relics are in the nearby chapel.

 

 

 

The two chapels nearest the entrance (west) feature some of the oldest art. On the north, the "Madonna della Bruna" (c1270) attributed to Giovanni da Taranto, centers an elaborate, inlaid Baroque altar.

In the south chaplel, behind the baptismal font, is the "Affresco del Giudizio Finale" (13th century) by Rinaldo da Taranto, who we know from Santa Lucia alle Malve. The scene shows several dark demons dragging the unworthy to the mouth of the Drago dell'Apocalisse, while San Michele (dark red figure) protects the faithful with a trident. In a strip of square cells above San Michele, souls burn in Purgatory, while above, others are swallowed by fish (whales?). Below this scene, are portraits of: San Pietro Martire, San Julian, and Madonna e Bambino in Trono.

 

 

We leave from a door on the south side, into courtyard; the sign reads 'Largo del Duomo' (Spanish?). Our local guide gestures across the Largo and points out the hotel where Morgan Freeman stayed.

There are three distinct and carefully carved openings on this facade. The exit door includes two human figures on its brackets. To the east, four 'beasts' eating humans ring a monofora window on tall, corbeled brackets. And further east, an eagle and a pair of winged lions (griffins?) are over the nearby door. The forms of the door surrounds and the archivolts are incredibly sharp.

The Gradoni Duomo are at the south end of the Belvedere parapet, and we descend into the valley.

 

 

We turn and look up; it has taken almost no time to reach the floor. The Via Fiorentini runs through the bottom of the valley; we follow this west and begin our ascent. The bells of the Chiesa di Materdomini come into view, as well as the arches of the Belvedere Guerricchio.

We turn, look back at the Duomo, and realize just how compact the Sassi area is.

We approach the Piazza Vittorio Veneto from below. We cross under the Chiesa di Materdomini, where the old vaults of the Chiesa Rupestre del Santo Spirito (8th-9th centuries) reveal the remains of medieval paintings.

 

 

 

On the other side of the opening in the deck of the Piazza Vittorio Veneto is the entrance to the Palombaro Lungo (16th-19th centuries), Matera's largest water cistern (5 million liters). The current condition of the Palombaro Lungo dates from  after 1991, when the cistern was rediscovered and explored by divers. Now, the water level is low, and a steel catwalk and stair system provide access. The condition of the surfaces is shockingly similar to that of the video.

The space is manmade, not a naturally occurring. And with the colored lights, it does feel like one of the chiese rupestri di Matera – an extension of the Santo Spirito.

 

 

 

 

 

With our gratitude, the local guide leaves us in the Piazza, and we wonder about Matera's transformation. Of course, Togliatti ascribed the "shame ' toward Italy, not Matera or the Sassi. And the guides are free to have strong opinions about A-list celebrities and prices – now that the Sassi are boutique hotels, the locals cannot live in them.

On the other hand, the government is largely responsible for displacing the locals in the 1950's, then regulating and financing the reconstruction of the neighborhood. The Sassi are recovered, but are they Disney-fied? Are the tourists driving the local economy or ruining it? Is it a positive or negative that caves that were once abandoned are now selling for millions?

The one thing creates the other – in Barcelona, or Lisboa, or even places like Monsanto. In the back of our minds, we wonder if the guide is grateful or critical. After all, we are the ones paying for the food, the tours, and the overnight stays.

We feel a twinge of guilt as we leave to board our bus. On the way, we pass the work crew, which is putting the final touches on the town's Christmas tree.