5 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Matera - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Matera

Sassi di Matera

People have been living in the cave houses on this Italian hillside since the Neolithic era.

The Crypt of the Original Sin

A cave in southern Italy adorned with thousand-year-old Biblical frescoes existed in obscurity until fairly recently.

La Palomba

An abandoned quarry hides an open-air gallery of huge sculptures, some made from the rubble of 9/11.

Chiesa del Purgatorio

Skulls and skeletons are omnipresent in this church dedicated to souls trapped in purgatory.

Centro di Geodesia Spaziale (Center for Space Geodesy)

One of the few places of its kind, this space research center sits deep in the countryside of Matera.

Are we missing something unusual in Matera?

Gravina in Puglia, Italy

Ponte Acquedotto

An impressive bridge over a ravine also served as an aqueduct.

14 miles from Matera

Province of Matera, Italy

The Village of Craco

An Italian hillside ghost town.

21 miles from Matera

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From Chocolate to Truffles: Italian Culinary Adventures

Taste your way through Italy’s northwest region of Piedmont, sampling sweets, sipping local wine, and foraging for truffles.

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alfx wants to go to Centro di Geodesia Spaziale (Center for Space Geodesy)

domingoconte wants to go to The Crypt of the Original Sin

domingoconte wants to go to Centro di Geodesia Spaziale (Center for Space Geodesy)

thegoodfaith wants to go to Chiesa del Purgatorio

thegoodfaith wants to go to Sassi di Matera