Rupestrian Churches Matera Park Tour

Explore the national park home to around 150 ancient rock-hewn caves churches on this guided tour of Murgia Park in Matera, the European Capital of Culture for 2019.

Rupestrian Churches Matera Park Tour

Meet your guide in Via Alessando Volta, in Matera, to start your journey in the Murgia Materana, or the Park of Rock Churches. You'll enter the UNESCO World Heritage Site and head to the remains of a Neolithic town, learning about the daily lives of historic inhabitants, including shepherds and hunters, and explore ruins of farms, sheep pens "jazzo", water tanks, and wells.

Next, you will visit key Rupestrian churches, primarily constructed in the Middle Ages, that highlight the historical significance of religion in southern Italy. The tour includes the Church of San Falcione, known for its rock-carved architecture and 9th-century frescoes.

Following that, you'll see the Church of Madonna delle Tre Porte, where your guide will discuss its historical importance. The tour concludes at a viewpoint used by Mel Gibson for a scene in The Passion of the Christ, offering a chance for panoramic photos of Matera's historic center before returning to the city by bus.

How long is the walking tour?

The excursion includes a route of around 4 kilometres (about 2.5 miles, approximately a 50-minute walk). The guide will adjust the pace based on your group's needs.

Temporary Closures

Due to rehabilitation work on the rock churches, visits to the churches mentioned in the itinerary are suspended until further notice. Instead, you will enter the church of Santa Maria della Palomba, a notable 16th-century sanctuary.