What to visit

The 18th century side of the town

By walking down Via Ridola, not far from the B&B, we come across the part of the town built up during the 18th century. One one side there is the Domenico Ridola National Museum and the Palazzo Lanfranchi - the Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of Basilicata - and on the other there is the historical centre which goes up as far as Piazza Vittorio Veneto. This short walk, no more than a few hundred metres in the heart, is full of historic buildings such as the Convent of St. Lucia and the Palazzo dell’Annunziata and fascinating 18th century churches: Purgatory, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Lucia and St. Francis of Paola.

The Sassi of Matera

Heading down Via Ridola towards Palazzo Lanfranchi, we reach Piazza Pascoli where there is the Belvedere, a vantage point from which we can admire the Sasso Caveoso and the impressive rocky structure of the Madonna dell’Idris. By going down the small path at the side of Palazzo Lanfranchi, venture into the Sassi and, on reaching the crossroads with Via Bruno Buozzi, we can walk through the extraordinary beauty of the Sassi.