Top Matera Art & Culture

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, this tour will be carried out with radio transmitter and receiver for each participant, in order to comply with the contact rules. An immersive experience to discover all that makes Matera unique by discovering motherhood and trying to enter, even in the philosophy of life of this strange and unique city. Together with me, Renato, or one of my collaborators such as Sara, Gaetano and Domenico, all licensed guides with a visceral passion and love for the city. The city of Matera, with its ancient neighborhoods, the Sassi, is considered among the oldest in the world. An authentic open-air museum that describes man's life from the Stone Age to the present day with spectacular continuity. Not really touristic tour, step by step you will discover the history of the city, the tales and the vicissitudes of those who lived in the Sassi as well as art, architecture. a 360 ° analysis of Matera "Shame of Italy" and "World Heritage Site".

Located in a cave deep in the Mugia plateau outside Matera, this captivating rupestrian church known as the “Sistine Chapel of the south” is not easy to reach by car or bus. With this tour, explore one of the most important cultural sites in Basilicata with a convenient transfer and admire its ancient frescoes with the insight of a guide.

The UNESCO-listed Sassi di Matera is both captivating and mysterious. With this guided tour, take a deep dive into the history of this unique rupestrian city, named a 2019 European Capital of Culture. Explore its hidden dwellings and churches carved directly into the cliff, the setting for a number of films, including Ben Hur. Cap off the tour with a tasting of local specialties from Matera.

1200 m2 underground, to discover the history of the city of the Sassi and beyond, up to a depth of 12 meters. Time and space are lost in a journey from its origins to today. The history of Matera narrated in one place. A city under the city made of houses, streets. cisterns, production environments and places of worship in a world to be discovered. Live a unique experience walking in a fascinating and mysterious world. Book your visit to the Hypogeum now.

You will visit Matera with a local tour guide that knows the city and will lead you to discover it as only an inhabitant can do.

The tour guide outside the Cathedral and walking tour, through culture, history, tales and legends, where in the bronze age, according the findings, a built up area was born to shape the first city.Secondly we will go to "Sasso Barisano" where we will find how life was spent in the past through old trades, customs, proofs and habits. Then we will cross the old town, coasting the "Civita", enjoying the view of the Park of Materana Murgia on the front side, so that we will head towards the rupestrian complex where you can see rupestrian churches and cave dwellings.

Get more out of your visit to Sassi di Matera with a guide to show you the best ways around the area. Along with leading you through the region, your guide will also tell you interesting historical and cultural facts as you go. Plus, see tops attractions such as Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano. 

Private panoramic tour of the historic districts of the city, aboard the historic Ape Calessino Piaggio. You will not share the tour with other guests.

On this in-depth guided tour of Parca della Murgia, you’ll get an insider’s introduction to the stunning, underground Rupestrian churches that Matera is famous for. Get a peek at 150 rock churches, including fresco-filled San Falcion and 17th-century Madonna delle Tre Porte. Tours include admission fees to the park and a guided excursion.

Discover the city of Matera in a journey through the city of the Piano with its Baroque churches, the Rione Civita where the cathedral in Apulian Romanesque style, and the two famous Sassi, Barisano and Caveoso districts, defined for their beauty and history a true cultural landscape.

A tour between Matera and Gravina, two cities with an ancient history and unique views, setting of the last of the famous James Bond saga "No time to die". During the tour an expert local guide will show you the locations of the most spectacular chases and the most reckless action scenes that animated the two cities for two months, during the shooting. In Matera you will see how difficult it was for the stuntmen to drive on the streets among the caves and in Gravina you will walk on the famous bridge which is the first scene in the newest trailer of the movie.

PASSIONS Craftsmanship, Medieval frescoes, Rocky churches, particular traditions of Matera and tasting of local enogastronomy WE WARMLY WELCOME Tourists of all age who speak English, particularly passionate about art, crafts and local traditions. minimum booking available: from 2 people

The best activity to relax yourself in an unique location carved in the stone and to taste local flavor

Private tour with a multilingual tour guide that will lead just you discovering the city and its history.

We will visit a beautiful UNESCO site like the Sassi of Matera: SASSI represents an extraordinary urban ecosystem able to perpetuate the most distant prehistoric ways of the past to live in caves up to modernity. Known as "the Underground City", Matera is famous for being one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. On October 17, 2014, Matera was declared the European Capital of Culture for 2019.

Unique panoramic tour on board the historic Piaggio Ape Calessino, it will give you an indelible memory of the splendid Matera. Customizable for your every need.

Thanks to this tour, in one day, it will be possible to visit Bari and Matera, that is some of the most beautiful places in the area.

The courses will be held in a newly restored fourteenth-century Franciscan monastery in the small town of Irsina between Puglia and Basilicata, a still very little tourist place but with considerable historical and artistic heritage: in Irsina the only known sculpture of the great Renaissance artist Andrea is preserved Mantegna. The course participants are hosted in typical houses of the historic center, interacting with the country and its people, discovering its history, art, culture, environment and food and wine. Breakfast and lunch are included in the price and are held in the bright restaurant of the convent or outside on the terrace of the convent's hanging garden. Excursions are also organized in the vineyards for the grape harvest, in the vegetable gardens, in the olive groves for olive harvesting and in Matera, the city of the Sassi and UNESCO heritage as well as being the European capital of culture in 2019.

Miglionico is located on a hill near Matera between the Bradano and Basento rivers and is famous for the majestic Malconsiglio castle, known for the historic conspiracy of the Barons (1485) against King Ferdinando I of Naples. Flanked by square and circular circular towers, placed at the top of the building. On the upper floor, there are the Malconsiglio hall, where the conspiracy was held, and the Star or Spirits room with a star-shaped ceiling and caskets where the most precious treasures and documents were kept. After the visit of the castle the tour continues towards the mother church of Santa Maria Maggiore which preserves precious works such as the splendid Polyptych (1499) oil on panel of the Venetian master Cima da Conegliano, composed of eighteen panels arranged in four orders, with a central beautiful Virgin on the Throne with Child and St. John the Baptist, the Crucifix by Father Umile Da Petralia Soprana (1629) and the great baroque organ.

Giovinazzo is a suggestive peculiar city, with a unique and characteristique apulian old town and it ha salso a beautiful turistic port with a lively night life and amazing public beaches and clubs. According to the legend “Jovis Natio” was founded from the legendary heroe Perseus, Jupiter’s son. Giovinazzo honours these origins standing out among the jewels of the adriatic coast. We suggest you a guided tour which will give you an overview of the city: from the oldest little street of the old town, to the important cultural and historical heritage of the noble palaces and the Magnificent Cathedral. The old town has different point of interest: the old “Arco Traiano”, wanted by the famous Emperor with surrounding walls to protect the city; the “Torrione Aragonese” (know as “U Tammurre” – “The Drum” in local dialect), because of its shape.

With this walking tour you will immerse yourself in this faboulous city, you will see many places, so that you will have a larger point of view about the old town, through old works and traditions, rupestrian churches and frescoes as well as the "Piano", the city centre which was built in the XVII century. You will also taste a bread typical of Altamura and a cheese typical of Andria.

PASSIONS The passion for the local traditions linked to myths and legends will help you discover ancient Camarda which will be the scenario of the passion “hands in the pasta”, for those who believe to be visiting a place to both learn more of it and taste its typical local culinary meals. WE WARMLY WELCOME For those who cannot resist gastronomic typicity,, for fans of strolling around the village and willing to discover the traditional Bernalda, with its historic palaces, made famous by Francis Coppola. Families with children, young and elderly people, speaking Italian or English. minimum booking available: from 2 people

Matera is a beautiful town in the Italian region of Basilicata. If travelling in southern Italy, you cannot miss a stop to this gem! Matera has gained international fame for its ancient town, the "Sassi di Matera". The Sassi originated in a prehistoric troglodyte settlement, and these dwellings are thought to be among the first ever human settlements in what is now Italy. The Sassi are habitations dug into the calcareous rock itself, which is characteristic of Basilicata and Apulia. Take a stop at the Cathedral of Matera and at Palazzo Lanfranchi, to historical buildings of Matera.

Castelmezzano, surrounded by a rocky landscape, has preserved the original medieval urban layout with houses built on the rock according to the ancient form of terracing, with the roofs in stone slabs. The walking tour will take you to the discovery of the historical center. It will be discovered how Castelmezzano at the time of the Crusades was an important stop for the knights who went to the Holy Land. Here you will also visit the Mother Church of Santa Maria (called dell'Olmo) made of local stone with inside a wooden statue of the Madonna with Child and a wooden baroque altar. The tour will continue in the village among the palaces built by noble families such as the great ducal palace of De Lerma, the last lords of Castelmezzano. The tour will end with a visit to the ruins of the Norman-Swabian castle and the narrow and very steep Norman staircase, the staircase was dug into the rock to lead the soldiers to a high place to watch over the fortress