Things to see · Monuments and historic buildings
Sasso Caveoso
Matera (Matera)
Sasso Caveoso is in Matera, province of Matera. Opening hours: Always open, on foot. Admission: Free. Rock churches, the Cave House and museums have their own tickets.
- Free. Rock churches, the Cave House and museums have their own tickets.
- Always open, on foot.
About this place
Sasso Caveoso is the district of the Sassi di Matera that faces south, towards Montescaglioso, on the edge of the gorge. The cave houses are arranged in terraces, like the rows of seats in an ancient theatre, which may be where the name comes from. It is the most spectacular and most “archaic” part of the old town, where the streets often run over the roofs of the houses below.
History
Like the Sasso Barisano, the Caveoso grew out of caves dug into the tufa and inhabited since prehistoric times. In the Middle Ages, monastic communities settled here and carved rock churches that can still be seen today, such as Santa Lucia alle Malve, the city’s first Benedictine settlement for women. At the centre of the district stands the built church of San Pietro Caveoso, perched on the edge of the gorge.
The district was organised into “vicinati” (small courtyards around which several families lived, sharing a well or cistern). After the evacuation that followed the special law of 1952, the Caveoso was almost completely emptied. After restoration began under the law of 1986, it was partly resettled, but it preserves the original look of its caves and alleys more than the Barisano does.
What to see
• Piazza San Pietro Caveoso with its church, overlooking the gorge and the Murgia.
• Santa Maria de Idris and San Giovanni in Monterrone, the churches carved into the rock of the Monterrone, with one of the most beautiful views over the Sassi.
• La Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario, furnished as it once was, to show how families lived alongside their animals.
• Santa Lucia alle Malve, the Madonna delle Virtù and San Nicola dei Greci, other rock-cut complexes in the district.
• Palazzo Lanfranchi, at the upper edge of the district, home to the telero (large painted panel) “Lucania ’61” by Carlo Levi.
How to get there
• On foot: from the centre, go down from piazza Pascoli, next to Palazzo Lanfranchi, or along the scenic road that runs beside the gorge.
• By car: cars are not allowed into the Sassi, except for residents. It is best to leave your car in the car parks in the new town.
• By train: from the Matera Centrale station of the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane, it is about a fifteen-minute walk.
Useful information
• The district is always accessible and is visited on foot, with many stairs and steep climbs.
• From piazza San Pietro Caveoso, a path descends into the gorge and climbs back up towards the Parco della Murgia Materana.
• The best light is early in the morning and at sunset.
