Landmark
Matera Cathedral and the Civita
Matera · Basilicata
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Landmark
- COUNTRY
- Italy
- REGION
- Matera · Basilicata
- DURATION
- 1 day
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
The Matera Cathedral, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria della Bruna, stands on the highest spur of the city, between the two Sassi districts, and it is the landmark of Matera, its Romanesque tower visible from across the gorge. It was built in the 13th century in the Apulian Romanesque style, dedicated to the city’s patron, the Madonna della Bruna, and its façade, its rose window and its interior hold the medieval sculpture and the decoration of the city’s peak. Around it is the Civita, the oldest fortified part of Matera, a maze of medieval lanes and the castle site at the very tip of the spur, between the two Sassi. The cathedral terrace gives the view over both districts and the gorge.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
The cathedral was built between 1230 and 1270 in the Apulian Romanesque style, on the site of an earlier Benedictine monastery, dedicated to the Madonna della Bruna, the city’s patron saint whose feast is celebrated on 2 July with a procession and the destruction of a triumphal chariot. The bell tower was added in the 15th century. The Civita, the fortified spur around the cathedral, was the original settlement of Matera, with a castle at its tip that was destroyed in the 18th century; the lanes around the cathedral preserve the medieval street plan. The cathedral was restored in the 20th century and is now the main church of the archdiocese.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The Romanesque façade and the rose window — the 13th-century façade with its sculpted portal and its wheel window.
The bell tower — the 15th-century tower, the landmark of the city, visible from across the gorge.
The interior — the medieval sculpture, the frescoes and the wooden ceiling.
The Civita — the oldest fortified part of the city, a maze of medieval lanes around the cathedral.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
The cathedral is the landmark of Matera and the highest point of the city, the place from which both Sassi and the gorge are seen together. For a visitor, the cathedral terrace gives the view that orients the whole city, and the Civita around it is the oldest part of Matera, the original settlement that grew into the cave districts below.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
MAP & LOCATION
Matera Cathedral and the Civita
Matera Cathedral and the Civita, Matera, Basilicata, Italy
40.6664, 16.6086
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Matera
THINGS TO DO
Things to do nearby
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Baccanti — a refined restaurant in a cave in the Sasso Caveoso, for traditional Lucanian cooking, book ahead
Trattoria del Caveoso — a trattoria in the Sassi for the local dishes and the view over the gorge
L’Abbondanza Lucana — a restaurant on the plateau for the cucina povera of Basilicata
Il Terrazzino — a family-run restaurant in the Sasso Barisano for home cooking and local wines
Regiacorte — a garden restaurant in the Sassi for slow Lucanian cooking, book ahead
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita — a cave hotel in the Sasso Caveoso, the most singular stay in Italy
Palazzo Gattini — a luxury hotel in a restored palazzo on the Civita, with a spa
Locanda di San Martino — a cave hotel and spa in the Sasso Barisano
Hotel Sassi — a comfortable hotel in the Sassi, with a rooftop terrace over the gorge
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
%22%2F%3E%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%22600%22%20cy%3D%22300%22%20r%3D%2290%22%20fill%3D%22%23c8a06a%22%20opacity%3D%220.35%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M0%20620%20L300%20420%20L520%20560%20L760%20360%20L1000%20540%20L1200%20460%20L1200%20800%20L0%20800%20Z%22%20fill%3D%22%23a97c50%22%20opacity%3D%220.22%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M0%20700%20L260%20540%20L480%20640%20L720%20500%20L980%20620%20L1200%20560%20L1200%20800%20L0%20800%20Z%22%20fill%3D%22%2320241f%22%20opacity%3D%220.14%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
INTERESTS
Explore by what you love
PART OF
Keep exploring
The atlas goes on — more attractions, destinations and stories from every corner of the world.