The square in front of the cathedral on the Civita – the highest and oldest point of the city, and the only one from which you see both Sassi at once.
Where it lies
Piazza Duomo sits on the rock spur of the Civita, between the two Sassi. Here stood the first settlement; here the cathedral has stood since the thirteenth century. The square is therefore not simply a place in the city but its starting point.
The view
From the edge of the square the view falls away on both sides: left into the Sasso Barisano, right into the Sasso Caveoso. It is one of the few points where you see both districts at the same time – and the only one where you grasp that they are separated and joined by this one rock.
Around it
Beside the cathedral stand Palazzo Gattini and several noble houses; the Civita was long the best address in the city. The page Palaces of the upper town introduces more buildings of this kind.
When
The square is small and fills up quickly. Early in the morning you often have it to yourself – and the light then sits well on the Barisano. In the late afternoon it is the other way round.
Read on
- Cattedrale di Matera – the church on the square
- Rione Civita – the rock spur beneath
- Palazzo Gattini – the palace on the same side
