Photos: User:MatthiasKabel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Benjamin Smith, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: User:MatthiasKabel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Benjamin Smith, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Rock churches across the Gravina ravine
Your local guide
Rosa Bruno
View profile
Highlights
- Eighth-century frescoes inside a cliff church
- A plateau dotted with rock-cut chapels
- Matera seen from across the ravine
- A side of the town rarely photographed
- The landscape the Sassi grew out of
About this tour
This session crosses the Gravina ravine to look at the rock churches on the Murgia side, ending with a view of the Sassi from across the gorge. You see the cliff face outside the Cripta del Peccato Originale, more churches cut into the plateau, and finally the whole town from a side rarely photographed. It links the Sassi to the wider landscape it grew out of.
I cross on foot and move slowly between the church entrances, since these spaces reward a careful look rather than a fast pass. I take questions on the frescoes throughout, then turn the phone back toward Matera before we finish and send a short note on what we saw.
This suits anyone who already knows the Sassi and wants the view from the other side of the story. It also works for viewers interested in early Christian history rather than only baroque churches.
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
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Welcome and sound check 6 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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Cripta del Peccato Originale 17 min
From outside the entrance I show the cliff face hiding the cave church, and describe the eighth-century frescoes inside that give it its nickname.
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Parco della Murgia Materana 17 min
You see the dry plateau dotted with more rock-cut churches, many of them simple openings in the cliff that are easy to miss on foot.
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The Sassi from across the ravine 17 min
I turn the phone back toward Matera so you see the whole town from the side almost no visitor photographs it from.
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Your questions 11 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 5 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Orecchiette con le cime di rapa and Sasso Caveoso, 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 7 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 Cripta del Peccato Originale and Parco della Murgia Materana 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 any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet and I send the link with your booking. I carry the phone across to the Murgia side myself so the churches read clearly.
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: Sat 7 Nov · 7 seats left From 28,00 €
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