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Sassi di Matera

Old towns ·Matera ·Open now
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#5Old towns in ItalyMost reviewed in MateraTravelers' Choice 2026
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About

Sassi di Matera are the ancient cave districts of Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso in Matera, Basilicata, built into the west slope of the Gravina ravine.

More photos 11

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Sassi di Matera — Sunlit rooftops and stone dwellings spread across the hillside Superchilum · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
Sassi di Matera — Sunlit rooftops and stone dwellings spread across the hillsideSassi di Matera — Historic Sassi rooftops with the cathedral rising above themSassi di Matera — Matera’s old stone quarter beneath its prominent bell towerSassi di Matera — The Sassi skyline above a deep green ravineSassi di Matera — Hillside dwellings descending toward the ravineSassi di Matera — Narrow stone street between old Sassi buildingsSassi di Matera — Cobblestone lane winding between weathered stone housesSassi di Matera — Rock-cut dwellings and openings in a rugged stone faceSassi di Matera — Stone terrace overlooking clustered houses and the ravineSassi di Matera — Green ravine below the historic hillside settlementSassi di Matera — Weathered stone façades of old Sassi dwellings

Why go

  • The Sassi’s stairs and narrow lanes, with buildings layered over natural and man-made cavities.
  • About 150 rock churches in the surrounding park, some with frescoes.
  • Sasso Caveoso’s tiered houses, arranged like theatre seating.

Opening hours

Today00:00 – 23:59Show all
Monday00:00 – 23:59
Tuesday00:00 – 23:59
Wednesday00:00 – 23:59
Thursday00:00 – 23:59
Friday00:00 – 23:59
Saturday00:00 – 23:59
Sunday00:00 – 23:59

Don't miss

  • Palombaro lungoA 19th-century water reservoir beneath Piazza Vittorio Veneto.Beneath Piazza Vittorio Veneto19th century
  • Santa BarbaraA rock church known for its frescoes.Sassi di Matera
  • San Pietro BarisanoIts masonry façade and bell tower rise above an interior mostly cut into rock.Sasso Barisano
  • Santa Maria di IdrisThe church stands atop the rock of the same name.Sasso Caveoso
  • The Aston Martin scene in No Time to DieJames Bond’s Aston Martin races through a scene filmed in the Sassi.Sassi di Matera2021

Photo spots

  • Sasso CaveosoFrame its stepped houses as they rise along the slope.At a viewpoint facing Sasso CaveosoDaylight On the map
  • Sasso BarisanoPhotograph the district’s carved portals and decorative friezes.In Sasso BarisanoDaylight On the map
  • Gravina ravineCapture the Sassi on the steep rocky sides of the ravine.Facing the Gravina from the SassiDaylight On the map

Tips for your visit

  • Sasso Barisano lies north of the rocky spur; Sasso Caveoso lies south.
  • Expect stairs and narrow lanes through the settlement.
  • In Sasso Caveoso, look for masonry fronts enclosing rooms carved into the rock.

Legends and hidden details

  • MUSMA, a contemporary sculpture museum, occupies Palazzo Pomarici on the Civita ridge. Madonna delle Virtù and San Nicola dei Greci host sculpture exhibitions.

Interesting facts5

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  1. The homes are excavated from calcarenitic rock called locally “tufo.”

    Sassi di Matera - Wikipedia

  2. The tufa settlement rises across several levels, sometimes reaching ten.

    Sassi di Matera - Wikipedia

  3. Some homes had as many as seven cisterns for collecting and storing water.

    Sassi di Matera - Wikipedia

  4. Some 8th-century cisterns were later converted into homes.

    Sassi di Matera - Wikipedia

  5. Shared courtyards, often centred on a well, formed the basis of neighbourhood social life.

    Sassi di Matera - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

The former cave quarters became a museum town, and tourism grew in importance.

  1. PaleolithicPeople inhabited the cave districts from the Paleolithic period.
  2. 1204A document first used “Sasso” to mean an inhabited rocky district.
  3. Early 1950sAbout 18,000 people lived in the Sassi. A national law ordered evacuation, and the government forcibly relocated most residents to newly built housing during the 1950s and 1960s.
  4. 1986A law provided for restoration of the districts.
  5. 1993The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the first such inscription in southern Italy. The listing recognizes a long-running example of adapting natural water, soil and energy resources.

Sources: Sassi di Matera - Wikipedia · Matera#Sassi - Wikipedia · Sassi di Matera - Wikipedia · Sassi di Matera - Wikipedia · checked 6 Oct 2026

Where
Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Matera

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

When can I visit the Sassi di Matera?

The Sassi districts are open 24 hours daily. This does not establish the hours of individual churches, museums or other interiors.

Does Matera have a railway connection?

Matera is the terminus of the Bari–Matera narrow-gauge railway.

What address can I use for the Sassi di Matera?

Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Matera, Basilicata.

Which rock church in the Sassi is known for frescoes?

Santa Barbara.

What other landmarks are in the Sassi di Matera?

Sant’Antonio Abate and Torre Metellana are among the other sights.

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