On the borders of Puglia Posti Bari Puglia

The suggestive Sassi of Matera

By C0NTR0L 20 NOV

75 4 min

One hour from Bari, just beyond the borders of Puglia, Matera with its characteristic Sassi.

It's true, Matera is not in Puglia , so why mention it among the cities you absolutely must visit?
Because this characteristic place , despite being in Basilicata , is extremely close to Bari (just under an hour by car).

Matera , famous for its Sassi , is one of the oldest and most precious cities in the world, in fact it is no coincidence that its rare and evocative landscape has been elected a UNESCO World Heritage Site .

It is essentially a town dug and sculpted into the mountains (hence the origin of the Sassi di Matera ) whose beauty has remained preserved and intact over time, attracting the attention of tourists and celebrities from all over the world.

Walking through the alleys of the historic center of Matera you have the impression that time has stopped, and this thanks to the structures set in the rock which are still used today by the inhabitants of Matera .
Indeed, several of these homes have become fantastic and welcoming hotels and B&Bs , some even very luxurious, located right in the heart of the historic center of Matera .

But as we said before, the charm of Matera does not only attract tourists but also prominent people; in fact, several actors and directors have passed through this city to make their films (among these we remember Mel Gibson when he chose Matera as the location to shoot the main scenes of the film The Passion of the Christ , 2004 ).

In short, Matera and its Sassi really don't disappoint anyone, and when you enter the evocative streets of the historic center you will immerse yourself in history through houses, terraces, squares, alleys and churches dug into the tuff .

An experience that will make you breathe in the past of this true jewel of Southern Italy, easily reachable from the capital of Puglia .

Matera is highly visited at any time of the year, and is particularly attractive even during the Christmas when the city, in addition to being festively embellished, becomes the protagonist of a characteristic living nativity scene in the alleys of the ancient village , something extraordinarily appropriate and evocative.

And if Matera is already fantastic during the day, what about Matera at night? Simply magical, splendid, silent… postcard-like.
Seeing is believing.