Guided Tours in Matera, the City of the Sassi
Discover the Magic of the “City of the Sassi
Private or Group Tours Available
Tour Description
An itinerary through the magical setting of Matera, the “City of the Sassi,” declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and European Capital of Culture in 2019.
Visiting the historic center of Matera is an unforgettable experience: the Sassi district appears as a dense labyrinth of stairways and cave dwellings, carved into the rock and inhabited since prehistoric times, a truly unique troglodyte habitat. The tour offers a succession of breathtaking views, featuring bell towers, churches, narrow streets, and courtyards.
The tour begins at Piazza Vittorio Veneto, with its panoramic Belvedere overlooking the Civita hill. This area was home to the oldest settlement, developed around the Romanesque Cathedral, which connects and separates the two ancient Sassi districts: Sasso Barisano to the northwest and Sasso Caveoso to the south.
The itinerary visits the main monuments of the city and includes entry into a typical cave house, furnished as it was when these ancient dwellings were abandoned by their inhabitants in the 1950s following the law for the redevelopment of the Sassi, signed by De Gasperi.
The city blends seamlessly with the surrounding Murgia landscape, visible across the Gravina River and accessible on foot via a suspended bridge.
The Murgia Materana Park offers some of the most spectacular rock formations and is home to over 150 cave churches, a testament to centuries of spirituality.
WHAT WE'LL VISIT
Half-day tour in Sasso Caveoso:
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Piazza Vittorio Veneto
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Belvedere Guerricchio
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Piazza Sedile
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Cathedral
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Cave House
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Church of San Pietro Caveoso
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Cave churches of Santa Maria de Idris and San Giovanni in Monterrone
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Belvedere of Piazzetta Pascoli
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Via del Corso
Full-day tour extending to Sasso Barisano:
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Church of San Giovanni Battista
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Belvedere Sant’Agostino
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Cave church of San Pietro Barisano
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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Optional entry to the Cathedral, cave churches, and a typical Cave House
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Skip the ticket line by booking your guided tour with us
MEETING POINT
Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 75100 Matera (MT)
DURATION
Full day or half day
INFORMATION & BOOKINGS
By phone: +39 320 7610467
Email us to: info@bestguidedtours.com