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.

Are we missing something unusual in Matera?

Province of Matera, Italy

The Village of Craco

An Italian hillside ghost town.

21 miles from Matera

Atlas Obscura Trips

Rome Behind Locked Doors: Music, Magic, and Secret Crypts

Join us as we go beneath Rome’s streets and behind its locked doors to explore hidden and overlooked places, witnessing a capital city that most tourists rarely experience—strange, magical, and filled with intrigue.

Community Forums / Southern Europe / Italy

Top Discussions in the Italy Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Where is your favorite place to eat and see something unusual in Rome?	1 July 23, 2019	837	July 23, 2019
Uffizi Gallery Trip	3 July 30, 2019	548	July 30, 2019
Stumbling Stones of Rome	3 July 24, 2019	768	July 24, 2019
'Il Babuino' ('The Baboon')	1 July 26, 2019	462	July 26, 2019
Capitoline Triad	2 August 16, 2019	283	August 16, 2019

New Post Visit the Forum

Explore Matera, Italy

Launch Map

Matera Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Matera Activity

auntypeaser has been to The Crypt of the Original Sin

auntypeaser has been to Sassi di Matera

auntypeaser wants to go to La Palomba

circe77 wants to go to Sassi di Matera

mig1586 f491fbb7 wants to go to Chiesa del Purgatorio