Matera is a town full of art located on a hill overlooking sweeps of corn fields which change the colour of the landscape in each season.

The “Sassi”, included on the UNESCO World Heritage, are the two old quarters of the town whose houses have been mostly carved into the soft calcareous rock.

Houses and small dwellings slope down and overlap in a seemingly chaotic fashion, but in point of fact they are a carefully constructed arrangement and a continual surprise. Here you can find the signs of past ages and visit the numerous rock-hewn churches rich in early Christian frescos.
When you walk through the “Sassi” you can discover a link among different cultures, traditions and architecture without any break and notice the human intelligence in the frantic instinct of daily self- preservation.

In the historical centre of Matera you can visit churches dating from 15th century onwards, which are a testimony of the religious faith of its inhabitants and of the existence of numerous religious orders: San Giovanni Battista, San Francesco d’Assisi, Purgatorio, San Domenico, Santa Chiara. The Cathedral, in Romanesque – Apulian style, is located on the top of the hill and is a symbol of Christianity and of the town. Then the 16th century Castle, named after count Giancarlo Tramontano, an uncompleted building because of the popular riots which ended with the killing of the tyrant.

In Matera art is everywhere: in Palazzo Lanfranchi you can visit the “Pinacoteca d’Errico” and the “Museo di Arte Moderna”. Permanent and seasonal exhibitions of art are organized every year: this year in the hewn-rock churches of San Nicola dei Greci e Madonna delle Virtù are shown the sculptures of David Hare, an American artist whose works are present in numerous museums such as The Guggenheim Museum of New York and Venice, The Whitney Museum of New York and The S. Francisco Museum. Matera is also a town of popular traditions, among which the most famous is the feast of Maria SS. della Bruna. It is celebrated on 2nd July when a papier mâché triumphal chariot carries the statue of the Virgin and Child through the streets of the town as far as the Cathedral and after that it goes back to the main square to be destroyed by hundreds of people in a few minutes.

In Matera the lovers of nature can enjoy the conservation areas of “Parco della Murgia” where the “cricket hawk” lives, and the “Oasi Faunistica del Lago di San Giuliano.

And the lovers of food and wine will taste the local bread, pasta, dishes and DOC wines.

You can visit also other wonders which are a few kilometres from Matera: The “Cripta del Peccato Originale” rich in frescos dating back to 9th century; in the Cathedral of Miglionico the Polyptych by Cima da Conegliano; in Irsina a work by Mantegna; in Montescaglioso the Benedictine Abbey; in Metaponto the monuments of the “Magna Grecia”. In the near Puglia you can visit two other monuments included on the UNESCO World Heritage: Castel del Monte and Alberobello.

In Basilicata there are other important and interesting towns and places to visit: the Vulture - Melfese area where you can find the two little lakes of Monticchio. The area is rich in history and traditions as well. The castles of  Melfi and Lagopesole built by Federico II of Svevia, the archaeological findings of Venosa, the cathedral of Acerenza and some little villages as Rionero in Vulture, Atella Barile, Ripacandida, Forenza, Avigliano, Ginestra, Rapolla, Filiano are all surrounded by the vineyard that produces Aglianico grapes from which a DOC wine is obtained: “The Aglianico del Vulture”, tasted and appreciated all over the world.

No wonder if at the end of your holiday you wish to come back and stay with us.