The terrace with the three arches on the main square – the easiest view into the Sasso Barisano, and the only one that manages without a single step.
Setting
The Belvedere Luigi Guerricchio, also called Belvedere dei Tre Archi, lies directly on Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Three arches frame the view over the Sasso Barisano – a motif that turns up in many photographs of the city, because the frame gives the picture depth.
The terrace is named after the painter Luigi Guerricchio, who came from Matera and made the landscape of Basilicata his subject.
Why it is practical
You reach it without a single step, straight from the main square. For anyone unsteady on their feet, travelling with a pushchair or with only an hour to spare, it is the most accessible viewpoint in Matera. If you want more and still want the level route, Piazzetta Pascoli is the counterpart on the other side of the city.
When
In the afternoon the district is in the light. In the evening the square is busy and the lit Sassi lie directly below – the combination of bustle above and stillness below is one of the stranger experiences this city offers.
What lies directly beneath
Under the square the terrace hangs from lies the Palombaro Lungo – the largest cistern in the city. Stand up here and you are standing on a cavity the size of a cathedral.
Read on
- Piazza Vittorio Veneto – the square behind it
- Palombaro Lungo – the cistern beneath
- Viewpoints in Matera – all the views compared
