Off the Beaten Path in Matera

Free Off the Beaten Path in Matera with Roamee Pro

Roamee Pro, also known as Roamee, offers a free off-the-beaten-path walking tour route in Matera. The audio walking tour can include stops such as Sassi di Matera — The Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso together form a vast cave dwelling complex carved into both sides of the Gravina ravine, comprising approximately 1,500 cave structures stacked and interconnected across multiple levels. The Sasso Caveoso retains a more raw, ancient character with its cave churches and exposed rock facades, while the Sasso Barisano was more commercially developed historically and features more elaborately finished stone frontages. An ingenious water management system of channels, cisterns, and canals — Matera's Palombaro system — collected and distributed rainwater throughout the districts for centuries., Casa Grotta — This restored cave dwelling in the Sasso Caveoso preserves the living conditions of a typical Sassi family through the mid-20th century, when an entire family and their livestock shared a single cave room of roughly 15 square meters. The exhibit includes original furniture, tools, and a manger where the family mule was kept inside the dwelling — its body heat helped warm the space in winter. The reconstruction vividly illustrates why the Italian government ordered the Sassi evacuated in 1952., Cathedral — Perched on the limestone ridge dividing the two Sassi districts at the highest point of the old city, this 13th-century Romanesque cathedral was built in the Apulian Romanesque style between 1230 and 1270. The facade features a striking rose window flanked by carved figures, while the interior was remodeled in Baroque style in the 18th century but retains a Byzantine-influenced fresco of the Madonna della Bruna, the city's patron. The campanile rises 52 meters, visible from virtually everywhere in the Sassi., plus hidden gems like Chiese Rupestri — Over 150 rock-hewn churches are scattered through the ravine walls and plateaus surrounding Matera, many containing Byzantine and medieval frescoes dating from the 8th to 13th centuries. The Church of Santa Maria de Idris, carved into the conical Monte Errone rock, offers both ancient frescoes and stunning views. Many of these cave churches were used by Benedictine and Basilian monks and preserve rare examples of early medieval religious art in southern Italy. and Murgia Materana — The opposite side of the Gravina ravine is a protected regional park offering hiking trails through a rocky Mediterranean landscape to panoramic viewpoints looking back across to the Sassi. The Belvedere della Murgia, accessible via a short trail from the road, provides the iconic postcard view of the entire ancient city. The park also contains several cave churches and Neolithic rock shelters accessible on foot..

Use this page as a starting point for a Matera walking tour, a free route, or the Roamee app for Matera. Roamee Pro keeps the route flexible so you can follow the stops, skip ahead, or explore nearby streets at your own pace.

• •Sassi di Matera — The Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso together form a vast cave dwelling complex carved into both sides of the Gravina ravine, comprising approximately 1,500 cave structures stacked and interconnected across multiple levels. The Sasso Caveoso retains a more raw, ancient character with its cave churches and exposed rock facades, while the Sasso Barisano was more commercially developed historically and features more elaborately finished stone frontages. An ingenious water management system of channels, cisterns, and canals — Matera's Palombaro system — collected and distributed rainwater throughout the districts for centuries.
• •Casa Grotta — This restored cave dwelling in the Sasso Caveoso preserves the living conditions of a typical Sassi family through the mid-20th century, when an entire family and their livestock shared a single cave room of roughly 15 square meters. The exhibit includes original furniture, tools, and a manger where the family mule was kept inside the dwelling — its body heat helped warm the space in winter. The reconstruction vividly illustrates why the Italian government ordered the Sassi evacuated in 1952.
• •Cathedral — Perched on the limestone ridge dividing the two Sassi districts at the highest point of the old city, this 13th-century Romanesque cathedral was built in the Apulian Romanesque style between 1230 and 1270. The facade features a striking rose window flanked by carved figures, while the interior was remodeled in Baroque style in the 18th century but retains a Byzantine-influenced fresco of the Madonna della Bruna, the city's patron. The campanile rises 52 meters, visible from virtually everywhere in the Sassi.
• •Palombaro Lungo — Discovered beneath the Piazza Vittorio Veneto in 1991, this enormous underground water cistern was carved from the living rock and could hold over 5 million liters of water. Built in the 16th century as part of Matera's elaborate water management infrastructure, it served as the city's primary water reserve. Visitors descend narrow stairs to a walkway above the cistern floor, where the scale of the excavation — 15 meters deep and roughly the size of a six-story building — is breathtaking.

• •Chiese Rupestri — Over 150 rock-hewn churches are scattered through the ravine walls and plateaus surrounding Matera, many containing Byzantine and medieval frescoes dating from the 8th to 13th centuries. The Church of Santa Maria de Idris, carved into the conical Monte Errone rock, offers both ancient frescoes and stunning views. Many of these cave churches were used by Benedictine and Basilian monks and preserve rare examples of early medieval religious art in southern Italy.
• •Murgia Materana — The opposite side of the Gravina ravine is a protected regional park offering hiking trails through a rocky Mediterranean landscape to panoramic viewpoints looking back across to the Sassi. The Belvedere della Murgia, accessible via a short trail from the road, provides the iconic postcard view of the entire ancient city. The park also contains several cave churches and Neolithic rock shelters accessible on foot.