Sassi di Matera - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The MUSMA ( Museum of contemporary sculpture Matera ) is an Italian museum located in Matera and dedicated to sculpture . It was inaugurated in 2006 and is located in Palazzo Pomarici , on the highest part of the Sassi district. It houses about 270 works by 200 different artists, including Kengiro Azuma , Duilio Cambellotti , Pietro Consagra , Pericle Fazzini , Luigi Guerricchio , Emilio Isgrò , Giacomo Manzù , José Ortega and Arnaldo Pomodoro.

The Cathedral of the Madonna Della Bruna and Sant’Eustachio is the Cathedral of Matera, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of the city, and to the Christian martyr Saint Eustace. The church is located on the highest point of the old city, between the two Sassi, the ancient districts of Matera. Formerly the seat of the Bishops, later Archbishops, of Matera, it is now the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina.

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul, commonly known as the Church of San Pietro Caveoso, is a church in Matera, located in the southern ancient district of the city, Sasso Caveoso. The church was built in 1218 but undergone numerous changes and renovations over the centuries, and many of its original features were lost in time. In the 17th century, the church was completely renovated and the current facade was built.

The church of Santa Maria di Idris , also known as "Santa Maria de Idris" or "Madonna de Idris", is located in Matera , inside the Sassi . It is a rock church , that is, carved into the rock . It is located in the upper part of Monterrone, a large limestone cliff that rises in the middle of the Sasso Caveoso; it can be reached via a flight of stairs near the rock church of Santa Lucia alle Malve . The name Idris derives from the Greek Odigitria , the one who shows the way, or from the water that

The Domenico Ridola National Archaeological Museum is an Italian state museum, located in the former convent of Santa Chiara in Matera. It was established on 9 February 1911 by the will of the senator and physician Domenico Ridola, who donated his important archaeological collections to the state and is, therefore, the oldest museum in Basilicata. It exhibits numerous archaeological remains found in excavations in the province of Matera and in the Murge.

Palazzo Lanfranchi is the greatest monument that represents the seventeenth - century period in Matera. In front of the door is the sculpture "The Drop" by Kengiro Azuma. The palace has undergone many renovations and has housed the Museo Della Grafica since 2007. The Museum houses the collection of the Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe dell’Università di Pisa; initially curated in 1957 by Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti.