Sites archéologiques à Matera

Archaeological Wonders

Matera’s archaeological landscape spans from prehistoric cave dwellings to sophisticated medieval rock-hewn churches. This collection highlights the "Sistine Chapel" of rupestrian art at the Crypt of Original Sin and the massive Palombaro Lungo, a 19th-century underground cistern carved beneath the main square. Across the Murgia Materana Park, sites like the Villaggio Saraceno and various rock sanctuaries reveal how early inhabitants adapted limestone cliffs into religious and residential complexes, preserving Byzantine-style frescoes and ancient hydraulic engineering.

Archaeological Wonders — Carte

Pietro & Silvia / CC BY 2.0

A

Crypt of Original Sin

Known as the "Sistine Chapel of rupestrian art," this 9th-century cave church features a rare cycle of Benedictine-Beneventan frescoes depicting biblical scenes from Genesis.

Velvet / CC BY-SA 4.0

B

Palombaro Lungo

A massive 19th-century water cistern carved into the calcarenite rock beneath the city center. It reaches depths of 15 meters and once held up to five million liters of water.

Nicole & Bert / CC-BY-SA

C

Piazza Vittorio Veneto

Matera’s central square housing significant archaeological remains, including the entrance to the Palombaro Lungo cistern and views of the subterranean "Ipogei" structures.

Asia / CC BY-SA 4.0

D

Chisa ruprestre santuario Madonna delle Tre Porte

A rupestrian sanctuary featuring three distinct arched entrances carved into the rock face. It contains remnants of Byzantine frescoes and traditional altar niches.

Actaris41 / CC BY-SA 3.0

E

Villaggio Saraceno

A complex of approximately 70 cave dwellings and a rock church located within the Murgia Materana Park, representing a medieval rupestrian settlement used for habitation and agriculture.

Sailko / CC BY 3.0

F

Chiesa Rupestre Madonna di Monteverde

An early medieval rock-hewn church typical of the Murgia region, featuring architectural elements and religious spaces carved directly into the limestone cliffs.

Sygic Travel User / CC-BY-SA

G

Chiesa ruprestre di Sant'Agnese

Also known as Santa Maria dell'Arco, this rock-hewn religious building is integrated into the Sassi's urban fabric, showcasing traditional rupestrian architecture.