Montescaglioso

The “City of Monasteries” in the heart of the Murgia

Near beautiful Matera, within the Murgia Materana Park, is the so-called “City of Monasteries”. After the year 1000, Montescaglioso, inhabited since Roman times, became the seat of an important Benedictine community that left lasting marks that still attract visitors to the area to this day. 

You can visit four monastic complexes, starting with the 12th-century Benedictine Abbey of Saint Michael Archangel in the town centre, one of the most significant monuments in the region of Basilicata and the whole of southern Italy. 

Nearby is the Monastery of Saint Augustine, one of the oldest in the region, and the 16th-century convent of the Capuchin Fathers. The women’s convent of the Santissima Concezione stands in Corso della Repubblica. 

Among frescoes, precious works of art and enchanting cloisters, you can discover this town at a leisurely pace. We recommend indulging in an ice cream in the atmospheric Piazza Roma, overlooked by the Church of San Rocco, before strolling among the shops in the streets of the centre. If you’re looking for an unmissable event, don’t miss the traditional Carnival, organised since 1638.