Matera

The Murgia Materana Park was established in 1990 with the name of Parco Regionale Archeologico Storico Naturale delle Chiese Rupestri del Materano (Natural Historic Archaeological Regional Park of the Rock Churches of the Matera region). This is the spectacular Italian rocky landscape which best testifies the ancient relationship between man and nature in southern Italy.

I Sassi, la Gravina, la Murgia. Archaic churches and dwellings. Tufa limestone rock hewn by nature, the wind and human beings. The unique and poetic splendour of Matera, a city designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, appears before us when we reach the panoramic terraces present in the historic centre and surrounding areas of the city. These are the ideal sites where it is possible to stop for a while and let your gaze wander across the immense rock formations, observing the beauty of the location. And then, when you feel you would like to stop and acquire familiarity with the local cuisine, there are many bars and restaurants that offer their own panoramic views.

When it comes to bread, Italy's know-how goes back centuries. From north to south, every town can boast its own traditional bread, the most famous of which includes that made in one of Italy's most beautiful regions, Basilicata: we're talking about bread from Matera. Known for its ancient habitations literally set in stone, the sassi, and for its rupestrian churches, Matera is an undisputably fascinating city. Appreciated by tourists from all over the world, this town in historic Lucania is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What makes Matera so captivating? Those that visit it immediately have the sensation of walking through a life-size Nativity scene. And it is not a coincidence that this "Second Bethlehem" was chosen for the making of such films as The Passion of the Christ. The particular bread from Matera has long been the city's symbol. Its form and unique taste are the fruit of ancient culture and tradition that still live on today.

You can cycle along paths already used in the Neolithic period until you reach a vantage point from which you can take in the Sassi di Matera with a single glance: the view at sunset is incomparable, because while the sun tinges the sky pink and the lights of the city are turned on, you will be enraptured by the famous nativity scene effect that is created. Here is the ideal route for falling in love once and for all with the Murgia Park on an e-bike.

Matera is one of the oldest, still inhabited cities in the world: a magical place that preserves evidence of human settlements since the Palaeolithic period in its natural caves carved into the rock. Over the centuries, these caves, which were to become the symbol of the city, were developed into increasingly complex structures in two large natural amphitheatres. When visiting Matera, which is located on a limestone plateau in Basilicata characterised by deep fissures, ravines, rocks and caves, you feel as if you are entering a nativity scene. Houses, churches, monasteries and hermitages are built in the natural caves of the Murgia in a landscape so evocative that it was chosen as the setting for films such as Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ and Pier Paolo Pasolini's The Gospel according to St Matthew. Are you ready to lose yourself in the wonders of this unique city?

Medium fruity, slightly bitter and sometimes spicy, with a colour between green and yellow: these are the characteristics of the Olio Evo della Basilicata, which from 2020 can boast the IGP, or Protected Geographical Identification. This important recognition has brought the number of branded products of excellence in the Region to eighteen, boasting five DOP, seven IGP, four DOC, one DOCG and one IGT including wines, vegetables and cereals, meats, cheeses and the bread of Matera.