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All Italy Matera

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Matera

6 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Matera, Italy

Updated August 19, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Matera

Looking out onto la Civita, the city center, from an ancient grotto in Sassi di Matera.

Matera, Italy

Sassi di Matera

People have been living in the cave houses on this Italian hillside since the Neolithic era.
Paintings on the walls

Matera, Italy

The Crypt of the Original Sin

A cave in southern Italy adorned with thousand-year-old Biblical frescoes existed in obscurity until fairly recently.
Skulls on the wooden door.

Matera, Italy

Chiesa del Purgatorio

Skulls and skeletons are omnipresent in this church dedicated to souls trapped in purgatory.
The sculpture park.

Matera, Italy

La Palomba

An abandoned quarry hides an open-air gallery of huge sculptures, some made from the rubble of 9/11.
Centro di Geodesia Spaziale (Center for Space Geodesy)

Matera, Italy

Centro di Geodesia Spaziale (Center for Space Geodesy)

One of the few places of its kind, this space research center sits deep in the countryside of Matera.
Piazza degli Olmi

Matera, Italy

Piazza degli Olmi

A unique urban square characterized by raw concrete structures and bold geometric forms.
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Gravina in Puglia, Italy

Ponte Acquedotto

An impressive bridge over a ravine also served as an aqueduct.
14 miles from Matera
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Explore Matera, Italy

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Architecture 2
Art 2
Unesco 2
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Recent Matera Activity

  • patrickryansullivan

    wants to go to Sassi di Matera

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    wants to go to Sassi di Matera

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    wants to go to The Crypt of the Original Sin

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    wants to go to Chiesa del Purgatorio

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    has been to La Palomba

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