Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 0835 31 42 35; Palazzo Lanfranchi; adult/reduced €2/1; 9am-8pm Thu-Tue)
The stars of the
show are Levi's paintings, including the panoramic mural
Lucania '61
depicting peasant
life in biblical Technicolor. There's also some centuries-old sacred art from the
sassi
.
Cathedral
CATHEDRAL
(Piazza del Duomo; closed for renovation)
Set high up in town, the subdued, graceful exterior
of the 13th-century Puglian-Romanesque cathedral makes the neobaroque excess within
all the more of a surprise: ornate capitals, sumptuous chapels and tons of gilding. Pedi-
ments mounted on its altars came from the temples at Metaponto. Matera's patron saint,
the Madonna della Bruna, is hidden within the older church,
Santa Maria di Costantinopoli
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
, which can be accessed from the cathedral if it's open.
Museo Nazionale Ridola
( 0835 31 00 58; Via Ridola 24; adult/reduced €2.50/1.25; 9am-8pm Tue-Sun, 2-8pm Mon)
The
impressive collection includes local Neolithic finds and some remarkable Greek pottery,
such as the
Cratere Mascheroni,
a huge urn more than 1m high.
MUSEUM
Tours
There are plenty of official guides for the sassi - try
www.sassiweb.it
.
Alternatively, con-
339
2823618; aweideman@libero.it; half-day tour for 2 people €40)
.
For excellent and informative guided visits, Ferula Viaggi (
Click here
) has tours of the
sassi,
classic tours, underground tours, tours that include tastings or cookery courses,
longer trips to the Pollino or into Puglia, and also hiking and cycling tours. Hikes range
from short walks to weeklong trips. For a detailed list of walks, see Ferula Viaggi's
Walk
Basilicata
(
www.walkbasilicata.it
)
. Ferula Viaggi also runs
Bike Basilicata
(
www.bikebasilicata.it
)
,
which rents bikes and helmets, and supplies a road book and map so you can head off on
your own. Guided bike tours include a seven-night 500km odyssey across Puglia and Ba-
silicata.
Festivals & Events
