5 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Matera - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Matera

Sassi di Matera

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

The Crypt of the Original Sin

A cave in southern Italy adorned with thousand-year-old Biblical frescoes existed in obscurity until fairly recently.

Chiesa del Purgatorio

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

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)

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

Are we missing something unusual in Matera?

Province of Matera, Italy

The Village of Craco

An Italian hillside ghost town.

21 miles from Matera

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Rome Behind Locked Doors: Music, Magic, and Secret Crypts

Join us as we go beneath Rome’s streets and behind its locked doors to explore hidden and overlooked places, witnessing a capital city that most tourists rarely experience—strange, magical, and filled with intrigue.

Community Forums / Southern Europe / Italy

Top Discussions in the Italy Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Where is your favorite place to eat and see something unusual in Rome?	1 July 23, 2019	1632	July 23, 2019
Uffizi Gallery Trip	3 July 30, 2019	1023	July 30, 2019
Stumbling Stones of Rome	3 July 24, 2019	1530	July 24, 2019
Drive Through Lazio Countryside	7 May 1, 2020	850	May 1, 2020
Montebore	3 December 3, 2019	1405	December 3, 2019

New Post Visit the Forum

Matera Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Matera Activity

satansdirtywife wants to go to Chiesa del Purgatorio

nilsfacchin wants to go to Sassi di Matera

conte9802 has been to Sassi di Matera

Boskizzi has been to La Palomba

Boskizzi has been to Chiesa del Purgatorio