Photos: Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 User:MatthiasKabel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 User:MatthiasKabel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Underneath Matera: the Palombaro Lungo cistern
Your local guide
Vito Pentasuglia
View profile
Highlights
- A cistern carved beneath the main square
- The old waterline still marked on stone
- Arches disappearing into the low light
- How the whole town once caught rain
- What most visitors walk straight over
About this tour
This session moves from Piazza Vittorio Veneto down into the Palombaro Lungo, the huge cistern carved beneath the square. You see the ordinary street life above and then the scale of the chamber below, with the old waterline still visible on the walls. It is a look at the part of Matera most visitors walk straight over without knowing it exists.
I start above ground and then take the phone down into the cistern, keeping it steady in the low light so the arches read clearly on camera. I answer questions on how the system worked throughout, and send a short note after with a few more details on the town's old water supply.
This suits anyone who wants to see past the Sassi skyline to how the town actually functioned. It also works well paired with a session on the rock churches above.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Matera before heading out.
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Piazza Vittorio Veneto 21 min
You see the square where locals cross every day, with almost no sign from above of the huge cistern carved into the rock beneath it.
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Palombaro Lungo 21 min
Inside, I show the arched chamber that once collected rainwater for the whole town, pointing out the old waterline still marked high on the walls.
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Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Matera: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Peperoni cruschi and Civita, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Rome time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 9 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Matera, showing you Piazza Vittorio Veneto and Palombaro Lungo live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on Google Meet and I send the link with your booking. I take the phone down into the cistern myself so you see the scale of it.
Times shown in Rome time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Mon 2 Nov · 9 seats left From 23,00 €
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