The southern of the two Sassi lies above the gorge like an amphitheatre. Here the caves sit most openly in the slope – and here you find the images of Matera you already have in your head.
Why it looks different from the Barisano
The name comes from the shape: the houses are stacked down the slope in tiers, like the seats of an ancient theatre. Because less was built over here than in the Sasso Barisano, the cave character is far more obvious. Many entrances sit directly against the rock, and behind them open rooms that reach deep into the stone. If you want to understand how the city is built, this is where you see it least disguised.
There are historical reasons for that. The Caveoso was the poorer part: fewer front extensions, fewer alterations, less money. What was once seen as backwardness is now the reason the district makes such an impression.
What is here
- Santa Maria de Idris – the rock church in the Monterrone crag, linked to San Giovanni in Monterrone.
- San Pietro Caveoso – the masonry church with its square above the Gravina.
- Santa Lucia alle Malve – the convent church with the district’s most striking frescoes.
- Convicinio di Sant’Antonio – four rock churches around a shared courtyard.
- Casa Grotta – a furnished cave dwelling, a few steps from the church.
- Palazzo Pomarici with the MUSMA – sculpture in cave rooms.
Finding your way
The reference point is Piazza San Pietro Caveoso. From there steps lead up to the upper town and down towards the gorge; Via Bruno Buozzi runs lengthways through the district. If you have time, get deliberately lost: the lanes are short, the city is manageable, and the most interesting views rarely appear on the direct route. There is an overview of the paths on the page The lanes of the Sassi.
Light and time of day
In the early morning and in the last hour before sunset the sun stands low over the gorge. The terraces then stand out in relief and the pale limestone takes on a warm tone. In the midday heat the same slope looks flat and washed out – and offers no shade at all. In summer that is not an aesthetic problem but a practical one.
At the edge
To the south the district peters out around Casalnuovo, where the buildings end and the view opens. At the lower edge lies Porta Pistola, from which paths lead down into the Gravina. If you plan the descent, do not decide on it spontaneously in the early afternoon.
Read on
- The Sassi di Matera – the overview of both districts
- Piazzetta Pascoli – the best-known view of this district
- The rioni of the Sassi – Malve, Casalnuovo and the other neighbourhoods
