The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Matera, Italy

Carved into limestone cliffs above a deep ravine, Matera rises like a vision from another era—houses, churches, and monasteries woven into the rock itself until it becomes impossible to tell where nature ends and human craft begins. Medieval travelers compared the sight to a star-studded sky; modern pilgrims often see something else entirely. When Mel Gibson sought a location to film The Passion of the Christ, he came here. When Pier Paolo Pasolini shot The Gospel According to St. Matthew, he cast the city's poor as extras and let the Sassi stand in for ancient Jerusalem. No set designer could improve on what ten millennia of continuous habitation had already created. The rock-cut churches scattered throughout the city and across the Murgia plateau number over one hundred and fifty, their walls painted with Byzantine frescoes that predate Giotto by half a millennium. Benedictine monks arrived in the eighth century, carving cells and chapels from the soft tufa; hermits fleeing the Iconoclast persecutions in the East found the Materan gorges perfect for lives of prayer and solitude. The city's cathedral, completed in 1270 and dedicated to the Madonna della Bruna and Saint Eustace, still dominates the ridge between the two ancient districts known as the Sassi—the Sasso Barisano and the Sasso Caveoso—now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban settlements on earth. Today Matera draws pilgrims seeking something beyond the ordinary tourist trail: the chance to pray in churches whose walls breathe with twelve centuries of accumulated devotion, to walk the same steep alleys that served as the Via Crucis in Gibson's film, and to encounter a city that seems to exist outside of time. The Feast of the Madonna della Bruna on July 2nd, celebrated since 1389, transforms the streets into a river of processional fervor climaxing in the ritual destruction of an enormous papier-mâché float—a reminder that in Matera, the line between past and present has never been cleanly drawn.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The caves of Matera have sheltered human habitation since the Paleolithic era, but Christian history here begins with the Byzantine monks who arrived in the eighth century, fleeing the Iconoclast controversies that convulsed the Eastern Empire. These hermits found the Murgia's ravines and tufa cliffs ideal for the ascetic life—isolated enough for prayer, soft enough to carve, and far from the theological storms raging in Constantinople. They hollowed out cells, chapels, and eventually entire monastic complexes, covering their walls with frescoes in the Byzantine style that still survive in dozens of rupestrian churches throughout the region. The Benedictines established their first foothold in Matera during this period, and the Crypt of the Original Sin—rediscovered only in 1963 after centuries of use as a shepherd's shelter—preserves their artistic legacy in stunning detail. Dating from the second half of the eighth century, its frescoes depicting the Creation, Adam and Eve, the Apostles, and the Virgin Mary as a Byzantine empress represent some of the earliest Christian art in southern Italy. The anonymous artist, nicknamed the "Flower Painter" for his distinctive floral motifs, worked in a style that predates the Romanesque by centuries yet speaks with surprising directness to modern viewers. The diocese of Matera received official recognition in 968, when the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phocas ordered it subordinated to the Patriarch of Constantinople—a status that would change only with the Norman conquest. In 1203, Pope Innocent III united Matera with the Archdiocese of Acerenza and authorized construction of the cathedral that still crowns the city, its massive rose window visible from every quarter of the Sassi below. The building was completed in 1270 in the Apulian Romanesque style, its tuff-stone walls rising more than six meters above the natural rock to dominate the skyline. The Feast of the Madonna della Bruna was instituted in 1389 by Pope Urban VI, himself a former Archbishop of Matera, fixing July 2nd as the celebration of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. According to local legend, a mysterious noblewoman once appeared to a peasant traveling toward the city, asking to be conveyed to the bishop. When they arrived at the outskirts, she transformed into a statue—the Madonna della Bruna, whose image has been venerated in the cathedral ever since. The feast day procession, in which knights escort an enormous triumphal chariot through the streets before the crowd tears it apart in a ritual known as the strazzo, has continued unbroken for over six centuries. The twentieth century brought both tragedy and resurrection to Matera. By the 1950s, the Sassi had become synonymous with poverty and disease—families of ten sharing single caves with their livestock, infant mortality rates among the highest in Europe, conditions so dire that Carlo Levi immortalized them in Christ Stopped at Eboli. The Italian government forcibly evacuated the population to modern housing, and the ancient districts fell silent. But what had been abandoned as a national shame gradually revealed itself as an irreplaceable treasure. In 1993, UNESCO designated the Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches a World Heritage Site. In 2019, Matera served as a European Capital of Culture. The caves that once housed the destitute now shelter luxury hotels, artisan workshops, and renewed communities of faith.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Matera

The pilgrimage sites of Matera span two distinct zones: the historic Sassi, where the cathedral and major churches rise above the ancient cave dwellings, and the Murgia plateau across the ravine, where rupestrian churches punctuate the limestone gorges. A Tibetan-style suspension bridge now connects the two, offering pilgrims access to the overlook where Gibson filmed the crucifixion scenes in The Passion of the Christ. The spiritual density of the place defies easy description—around every corner, another frescoed chapel; behind every door, another layer of Christian history descending into the rock.

Matera Cathedral (Cattedrale di Maria Santissima della Bruna e Sant'Eustachio)

Local Name: Duomo di Matera Address: Piazza Duomo, 75100 Matera MT, Italy GPS Coordinates: 40.6660817, 16.6112589 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Website: https://www.chiesadimaterairsina.it/ Dedication: Madonna della Bruna, Saint Eustace Historical Note: Construction began in 1203, the same year Pope Innocent III elevated Matera to archdiocesan status, and continued until 1270. The builders raised the rocky foundation more than six meters to ensure the cathedral would dominate every sightline—a goal triumphantly achieved. The west façade features a magnificent sixteen-rayed rose window crowned by a statue of the Archangel Michael crushing the dragon, flanked by four small columns representing the evangelists and twelve hanging columns symbolizing the apostles. The 52-meter bell tower remains the tallest structure in the city, visible from across the Murgia. Spiritual Importance: The cathedral houses the venerated image of the Madonna della Bruna, a thirteenth-century fresco by Rinaldo da Taranto depicting the Virgin and Child in the Byzantine Odigitria style—Mary indicating her Son as "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." The relics of Saint John of Matera rest here, translated in 1830. Inside, pilgrims discover Altobello Persio's remarkable stone nativity scene (1534), inspired by the cave dwellings of the Sassi; the Renaissance Chapel of the Annunciation; and a recently restored Last Judgment fresco, also attributed to Rinaldo, that represents the only surviving fragment of the original painted decoration.

Crypt of the Original Sin (Cripta del Peccato Originale)

Local Name: Cripta del Peccato Originale Address: Contrada Pietrapenta, 75100 Matera MT, Italy GPS Coordinates: 40.6186110, 16.5570060 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Website: https://www.criptadelpeccatooriginale.it/ Dedication: Benedictine monastery church Historical Note: Hidden in the walls of the Gravina di Picciano about seven kilometers south of Matera, this Benedictine rock church lay forgotten for centuries after its abandonment, serving as an occasional shelter for shepherds who called it the "Cave of the Hundred Saints." A group of local youths rediscovered it in 1963 and recognized the extraordinary frescoes covering its walls. Experts dated the paintings to the second half of the eighth century—making them among the oldest Christian art in southern Italy. The anonymous artist, known as the "Flower Painter of Matera" for the distinctive red-petaled flowers that frame his compositions, worked in a Late-Romanesque style with strong Byzantine and Beneventan influences. Spiritual Importance: The forty-one square meters of frescoes constitute a visual catechism of remarkable power and intimacy. The back wall depicts the story of Creation and the Fall: God creating light and darkness, Adam and Eve beneath the fatal tree, their expressions rendered with surprising psychological depth for art of such antiquity. Three apses carved into the left wall display triarchies—groups of three figures—representing the Apostles Peter, Andrew, and John; the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael; and the Virgin Mary enthroned as a Byzantine empress. Often called "the Sistine Chapel of rupestrian art," the crypt rewards pilgrims willing to make the journey into the countryside with an encounter with early Christian faith in its most elemental form.

Church of Santa Maria de Idris

Local Name: Chiesa di Santa Maria de Idris Address: Rione Monterrone, 75100 Matera MT, Italy GPS Coordinates: 40.6627778, 16.6122222 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Dedication: Virgin Mary (Odigitria) Historical Note: Carved into the limestone spur of Monterrone that rises dramatically above the Sasso Caveoso, Santa Maria de Idris dates from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The name derives from the Greek Odigitria—"she who shows the way"—the title by which the Virgin was venerated in Constantinople, brought south by Byzantine monks. A small but elegant bell gable marks the rock-cut entrance. The interior preserves traces of frescoes that once covered the walls; many were removed in 1970 for restoration and are now conserved at the Superintendency for Historical and Artistic Heritage. Spiritual Importance: A narrow tunnel connects Santa Maria de Idris to the older crypt of San Giovanni in Monterrone, creating a connected sacred space that spans centuries of devotion. The crypt preserves precious frescoes from the twelfth to seventeenth centuries, including a Christ Pantocrator ("All-Powerful") and a Glykophilousa Madonna ("Virgin of the Sweet Kiss") of exceptional tenderness. From the church's elevated position, pilgrims can survey the entire Sasso Caveoso and the Gravina ravine—the same view that has drawn monks, hermits, and now filmmakers to this ancient place of prayer.

Church of San Pietro Caveoso

Local Name: Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo Address: Piazza San Pietro Caveoso, 75100 Matera MT, Italy GPS Coordinates: 40.6621944, 16.6125000 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Dedication: Saints Peter and Paul Historical Note: The church rises at the edge of the Sasso Caveoso, its baroque façade (added in the seventeenth century after renovations) overlooking the piazza that has served as a film location for directors from Pasolini to Gibson. The original structure dates from the late thirteenth century, though extensive modifications have obscured much of the medieval fabric. The interior was enlarged with side chapels and the wooden ceiling replaced with tufa vaulting. Spiritual Importance: San Pietro Caveoso anchors the spiritual life of the lower Sassi, its piazza serving as the starting point for the Good Friday Via Crucis that winds through the ancient districts. The fifteen bronze Stations of the Cross, created by the sculptor and priest Father Tito (Ferdinando Amodei) and installed in 2004, mark a route culminating at the Monterrone rock where Santa Maria de Idris and San Giovanni in Monterrone perch. Each station opens onto a different vista of the city, transforming the pilgrimage into a visual as well as spiritual journey.

Santa Lucia alle Malve

Hidden in the rock face of the Malve district behind Piazza San Pietro Caveoso, this rupestrian church served as the first Benedictine convent for women in Matera, carved out in the eighth century. The interior preserves rich thirteenth-century frescoes including scenes from the life of Saint Lucy. Above the church lies an ancient necropolis of rock-cut tombs. Though the nuns relocated to the Civita in 1283 and the structures became private residences, the church itself was restored and reopened to visitors, with Mass celebrated on December 13th, the feast of Saint Lucy.

Rock Complex of Madonna delle Virtù and San Nicola dei Greci

This extraordinary double church complex, reachable via the narrow alleys of the Sasso Barisano, exemplifies what scholars call "negative space architecture"—an entire monastic compound carved from the living rock rather than built upon it. San Nicola dei Greci, oriented to the east and featuring distinct Byzantine liturgical elements, served as the location for the Last Supper scene in The Passion of the Christ. The complex now hosts major contemporary art exhibitions, though the original rupestrian atmosphere remains palpable. The two connected spaces—one Latin, one Greek—embody the confluence of Eastern and Western Christian traditions that shaped Matera's spiritual identity.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

July 2 – Feast of the Madonna della Bruna Matera Cathedral and city streets. The longest day of the Materan calendar begins at dawn with the Shepherds' Procession, continues through the midday procession of the triumphal chariot (Carro Trionfale) escorted by sixty knights in medieval costume, and climaxes after dark with the strazzo—the ritual destruction of the elaborately decorated papier-mâché float in Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Instituted in 1389 by Pope Urban VI, this celebration of the Visitation draws thousands of pilgrims and represents one of Italy's oldest continuously observed patron saint festivals.

🛏️ Where to Stay

4-Star Hotels

Sant'Angelo Cave Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Piazza San Pietro Caveoso, 75100 Matera MT, Italy 🌐 Website: https://en.santangelomatera.it/ 🔗 Booking.com: sant-angelo-luxury-resort A scattered hotel occupying restored cave dwellings throughout the Sasso Barisano, with rooms carved from the rock and terraces overlooking the cathedral. The hotel's restaurant, Regiacorte, serves refined local cuisine. L'Hotel In Pietra ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Via San Giovanni Vecchio 22, 75100 Matera MT, Italy 🌐 Website: https://www.hotelinpietra.it/ 🔗 Booking.com: hotel-in-pietra Housed in a former thirteenth-century monastery in the Sassi Barisano, featuring cave rooms with hot tubs, a wine cellar, and views of the cathedral from private terraces.

5-Star Hotels

Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & SPA ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Via Sette Dolori 33/35, 75100 Matera MT, Italy 🌐 Website: https://www.aquatiohotel.com/ 🔗 Booking.com: aquatio-cave-luxury-spa A luxury cave hotel within the UNESCO site featuring a spa carved into the rock, fine dining restaurant, and suites with panoramic views over the Murgia.

🚗 Getting There

By Air: The nearest major airport is Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport (BRI), approximately 65 kilometers northeast. Shuttle services and rental cars connect to Matera in about one hour. Naples International Airport offers an alternative for travelers approaching from the Tyrrhenian coast. By Train: Matera is not served by the national Trenitalia network. From Bari Centrale, the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane (FAL) regional railway operates frequent services to Matera Centrale station, with a journey time of approximately 90 minutes. From there, local buses or taxis reach the historic center. By Bus: SITA Sud and Marozzi operate direct coach services from Rome (approximately 4.5 hours), Naples, and other Italian cities. The Flixbus network also serves Matera with connections throughout Italy and Europe. By Car: From Bari, take the SS96 and SS99 southwest (approximately one hour). From Naples, follow the A16 and A3 highways east, then the SS407 Basentana and local roads (approximately 3.5 hours). Parking is available outside the ZTL (restricted traffic zone) protecting the Sassi; the historic center is largely pedestrian.

📚 Further Reading

Articles & Online Resources:

• The Italian city that plays ancient Jerusalem in the movies – Aleteia's exploration of Matera's role as a biblical film location.
• Matera, the sassi and rupestrian churches – Official Italian tourism portal's comprehensive guide to the UNESCO site.

🔗 Useful Links

• Basilicata Tourism – Regional tourism portal with accommodation, events, and travel planning.
• Matera Welcome – Local tourism organization with guides, itineraries, and cultural programming.

🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

Bari (65 km north) – The Basilica of San Nicola houses the relics of Saint Nicholas of Myra, a major pilgrimage destination since 1087. Gravina in Puglia (30 km east) – Cathedral and rupestrian churches in a dramatic ravine setting similar to Matera. Altamura (20 km northeast) – The thirteenth-century cathedral built by Emperor Frederick II, featuring a magnificent rose window. Montescaglioso (8 km southeast) – The Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo, a Benedictine monastery founded in the eleventh century with extensive frescoes.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"The first inhabited zone dates from the Palaeolithic, while later settlements illustrate a number of significant stages in human history."

— UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Inscription of the Sassi and Rupestrian Churches of Matera, 1993