The ancient city of Matera, carved into the ravines of Basilicata in Italy’s deep south, is one of the most extraordinary urban landscapes on earth. Inhabited continuously for over 9,000 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world, its famous Sassi districts are a labyrinth of cave dwellings, rock churches and stone staircases that tumble down into the gorge of the Gravina river. What was once considered a symbol of southern poverty, famously described by Carlo Levi as “a shame and disgrace to Italy,” was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and named European Capital of Culture in 2019.

What to do

Visit the MUSMA

The MUSMA is the only cave museum in the world and the most important Italian museum entirely dedicated to sculpture. It illustrates the history of Italian and international sculpture from the end of the 19th century to the present day with a rich body of works: sculptures, ceramics, medals, jewellery, drawings, graphic works and artists’ books.
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Catch the view from Madonna delle Vergini

Perched on the edge of the ravine, Madonna delle Vergini church offers what is arguably the most breathtaking viewpoint over the Sassi: a wide, uninterrupted panorama of honey-coloured stone, cave dwellings and rugged landscape. You can reach it with a short drive from the Sassi, or, if you’re up for it, via a scenic walk that winds out of the old town and down towards the ravine.

Palazzo Lanfranchi

Palazzo Lanfranchi (17th century), which has housed the National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of Basilicata since 2003, underwent a restoration in 2021 to renew and highlight its spaces and collections. The ground floor now features new rooms dedicated to the works of Carlo Levi (1902-1975) and Luigi Guerricchio (1932-1996), two masters of 20th-century art. Special emphasis is placed on Levi’s large panel painting, Lucania ’61, which has been rearranged for optimal viewing. On the first floor, there are two main exhibition sections: Art of the Territory, showcasing a selection of sacred local artworks from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, and a distinguished collection of Neapolitan painting from the 17th and 18th centuries.

What to see

CHIESA DELLA MADONNA DELL’IDRIS

The 14th-15th century Church of Santa Maria De Idris stands at the top of the rocky spur of Montirone (or Monterrone), near San Pietro Caveoso. Its lucky position offers a unique panorama over the city and the Gravina.

Shop

tufA

Tufa is a small studio born from a family of local artisans who, originally worked with limestone for construction and restoration, and later shifted towards a more creative path. They collaborated with architects and designers before launching their own collection where calcarenite, a porous stone typical of the region, is transformed into contemporary decorative objects, from sculptural pieces to lighting and architectural details. WEBSITE

MASSIMO CASIELLO

The bread stamp is one of the symbols of the pastoral art of the Matera Murgia. Until the 1950s, housewives used to knead bread at home and deliver it to the bakers’ boys for baking, not before stamping each loaf to distinguish it from those of other families. Today, artisan xy still works to produce this small, finished object that speaks of tradition. WEBSITE

Drink

Area 8

In Matera, a city famed for its ancient cave dwellings, Area 8 emerges as an unexpected revelation. Housed in a 300-year-old building, the former creative agency has evolved into one of southern Italy’s most talked-about venues. It unfolds as a sequence of immersive rooms: a piazza with DJ sets from a vintage van, a cinematic 1950s-style library, a billiard room turned vinyl lounge, and a cave-carved cinema steeped in dolce vita nostalgia. Led by South African creative Mikaela Bandini, the space blends restored Italian design with eclectic finds, creating a layered, atmospheric world. A magnet for creatives, Area 8 hosts events, dining experiences, and inventive cocktails with a playful edge. WEBSITE

Where to eat

Myricae ristorante

Myricae Ristorante takes its name from a verse by Giovanni Pascoli: a quiet ode to “small things,” to nature, memory and a slower, more contemplative rhythm of life. That same sensibility carries through the restaurant’s philosophy: a cuisine rooted in the land, yet reinterpreted with a refined, contemporary lens. Led by chefs Nicola Stella and Domenico Paolicelli, whose paths have been shaped by international experience, the kitchen moves between tradition and research, elevating humble, local ingredients into something nuanced and expressive. WEBSITE

VITANTONIO LOMBARDO

A cave in the Rione Sassi left to its natural charm on purpose, designed by architect Alessandro Tortorelli and desired by Vitantonio, who chose Matera inspired by a place where cavities and convexities of stone can truly give rise to timeless taste experiences. WEBSITE

DIMORA ULMO

It is in this city, housed in a completely restored Palazzo in the heart of the Sassi cavea, that the Restaurant Dimora Ulmo combines art, design and high gastronomy. Ristorante Dimora Ulmo is the project of a young and professional team animated by genius and passion. With Chefs Michele Castelli and Virginia Caravita, both with an experience gained in Massimo Bottura’s kitchens, together with Nico Andrisani and Francesco Russo to give Dimora Ulmo their home, a special place where you can breathe elegance, taste, exclusivity, but also the warmth of a welcome. The view over the city from the terrace is breathtaking. WEBSITE

Oi Marì

Tucked into the ancient caves of Matera, Oi Marì began in 1999 as a simple, inspired idea: three friends, Mary and Sara Cotugno and Luca Mangiapia, bringing Neapolitan pizza to the Sassi for the very first time. Since then, it has evolved into a refined, seasonal kitchen rooted in the flavours of Basilicata. Interiors are the kind you visit this region for: a dining room carved into soft tufa stone. On the menu, local specialities take centre stage from peperoni cruschi of Senise to fava beans with chicory and lamb from the Lucanian Dolomites. Equally compelling is the wine offering with two cellars that house a collection of over 700 labels and 200 spirits. WEBSITE

BAKERIES

Panificio Cifarelli

This bakery is an icon in Matera, currently managed by third generation Massimo Cifarelli. The recipes of these bakes date back to 1947, when his grandmother would bake this sacred dough at home. Years later, this special bread made with sourdough starter spends two hours in the oven at high temperatures to form a crunchy crust, whilst maintaining a soft interior. Here, you’ll find this traditional bread, as well as friselle, taralli and other southern sweet and savoury specialties. WEBSITE

Sleep

Vetera

One of the very few five-star alberghi diffusi in Italy, Vetera spreads across 18th-century noble palazzi, millennial caves and an ancient cloister in the heart of Matera’s Rione Vetera. Guests choose between two very different ways to sleep: above ground in elegant rooms with soaring vaulted ceilings, stone balconies and sweeping views over the Sassi, or below it in five Hypogeum Suites: sinuous pale walls and ceilings carved from porous rock, with plunge pools on a lower level for those unbothered by the dark. Furnishings throughout are deliberately spare, allowing the extraordinary architecture and an evolving collection of contemporary art to do the talking. At Artema, Neapolitan chef Edoardo Estatico bridges his native region and adopted Lucania in tasting menus of genuine ambition, alongside simpler pleasures: perfect orecchiette, milky mozzarella, cherry tomatoes. Below ground, the tufa-hewn Elysium Spa offers a sauna, caldarium, frigidarium and the Zerobody float system. WEBSITE