Matera May 16 & 17
May 16
We all had a great sleep and woke up feeling fresh and ready to get going! The weather was a bit overcast so we decided just to pack up, get the car, and hit the road. We’re spending the next 2 nights in Matera but we’re stopping in Altamura first for lunch at Antico Forno Santa Caterina dal 1391.
We first discovered this bakery on Tik Tok and Instagram, which features reels by 2 nonna’s (Nonna Graziella and Nonna Teresa) who make their family recipes in the alley outside the bakery. They mix giant batches of cocktails and do funny little skits with their one of a kind Italian Nonna sass. I love it!
But more about this bakery and its amazing history! The bakery’s wood fired oven has been active since the 1300’s, which you can still see in action when you visit. Back in the 1300’s not every home had an oven, so this oven was where the community could come to bake their bread. Each family had their own uniquely designed family seal that they would stamp their dough with and that’s how they would distinguish their loaf after it was baked.
When we arrived at Antico Forno Santa Caterina I was so surprised at how small it was. Literally everything about it was tiny! The doorway, the entrance steps, the interior…all of it is so small! Given how small the interior is and the large number of people that come to see it everyday plus add in the heat that the wood fired oven gives off in such a small place – it can be a cramped, hot, and hectic scene. So it’s best to figure out what you want to order pronto!
The wood fired oven is located in the front of the bakery and to the right of the entrance. When the bread maker is putting loaves in the oven or retrieving the cooked loafs the extra long handle of the dough peel literally reaches from the mouth of the oven and all the way across the entryway. So keep your eyes open and pay attention!
We ordered two different versions of focaccia (one with tomato and olive and the other was a bell pepper and olive) and grabbed a table outside to enjoy it. While we were eating the 2 nonna’s arrived and started doing some social media work!
We then wandered around the town for a bit and saw some of the noteworthy attractions in Altamura. We saw the Arco Basso Angelo Milano, which is one of the lowest arches in Europe, and the Strictula via Santa Caterina which is some of the narrowest streets in Europe (40 cm wide).
Our last stop in Altamura was another bakery, Forno Antico S. Chiara dal 1423. Baking Altamura’s famous bread since 1423! We had a tomato focaccia and it was absolutely delicious!
After leaving Altamura we continued on our way to Matera. We pre-booked a parking spot outside of the city since we heard finding parking within the city can be challenging. The parking site that we used provided shuttles that drove you directly to the hotel so that was very convenient and hassle free. (TA&CO garage)
Quick History of Matera:
Matera is an ancient city and is the third oldest inhabited city in the world. It has a history that dates back to the Palaeolithic times (7000 years ago!)
Famous for its cave dwellings located in the Sassi neighborhoods. The “Sassi” is the name for these cave dwellings, which are homes carved into the soft limestone rock. These cave homes, terraces and rock-hewn churches stack and spill over each other, creating a honeycomb-like cityscape.
Old Matera has 2 Sassi districts: Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso. For much of the 1900’s Matera was a symbol of extreme poverty. The residents were living in these caves without plumbing or electricity and in many cases the Sassi people were living in these single cave room dwellings along with their mules, pigs and chickens. They had very poor sanitation, no windows for air circulation, and no natural light. The infant mortality rate was extremely high. In the 1950’s Matera was denounced as “the shame of Italy” and the government declared it unfit for habitation and relocated all the inhabitants to new housing outside the city of Matera. However, after major restoration and redevelopment in the 1980’s the government reopened Matera and the Sassi was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Matera went from “the shame of Italy” to a cultural gem.
We stayed at Il Palazzotto Residence and Winery in the heart of the Sasso Barisano. The hotel has 10 unique suites and we stayed in the Apartment Suite which is designed for a family stay and it was perfect for the 4 of us. The apartment was across the street from the main hotel and in a little courtyard.
After getting settled in our room we were treated to a wine tasting on the outdoor terrace at our hotel.
Our first impressions: Matera is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! We were so incredibly awe struck and it exceeded ALL of our expectations. When I was researching for this trip I felt like we had to add it to the itinerary because of course it sounded cool, but I thought it looked dark and possibly depressing from the photos and videos I found online so I only booked us for 2 nights. That was a mistake. I wish we had longer in Matera and it is now on my “Been there but want to go back” list.
Our first afternoon in Matera was spent by wandering around and getting lost in the beautiful winding ancient streets.
We treated ourselves to the first gelatos of the trip (spoiler alert: this was THE BEST gelato of the trip!) at Gelateria Artigianale. I got a scoop of dark chocolate and a scoop of hazelnut. 10/10
We pre-booked a tour of Casa Noha at 4:45, which is a good introduction to the history of Matera (but I don’t think it should be your only one). It’s a restored residence in the Sassi that has been transformed into an immersive, multimedia cultural space. Casa Noha is a 16th century stone dwelling in the Sasso Caveoso that was donated to the Italian National Trust by the Noha family. The multimedia experience explains the formation of the Sassi settlement, the decline into poverty in the early 20th century, the mass evacuation from the caves and finally the restoration process.
Dinner tonight was at La Lopa which features traditional style recipes. We ordered a cavatellino con ceci pasta ~ handmade pasta with chickpeas, fried onion and crushed pistachios. Orecchiette al Ragu – orecchiette in a savoury ragu with beef. And a lamb dish with a side of pickled onions and olives. The pastas were delicious, the lamb dish was not a hit with us. We shared a dessert of homemade fig gelato (I’d say the dessert was ok). The white wine was also fantastic and Stephen ordered a grappa for a digestif.
After dinner we went downstairs where the restaurant plays clips of movies that were filmed in Matera. Most famously James Bond No Time To Die and Mel Gibson’s Passion of Christ
May 17
Getting the day started with an OOTD pic in the courtyard.
This morning we booked a 3 hour private walking tour with Martulli Viaggi. Walking tours are always a roll of the dice because your level of enjoyment can really depend on your tour guide (and if you are doing a group tour the group you’re with too). I thought I’d splurge for a private for a better experience, however our tour guide’s English was not great, and she was not in very good physical shape and took forever going up and down stairs (which in Matera it’s mostly stairs lol). Anyways, you win some you lose some.
Our first stop was an ancient cave church Madonna delle Grazie.
Then we visited Casa Grotta Narrante, a traditional grotto house. This was a really good interpretive and educational experience, and I highly recommend for getting a realistic idea of life in a sassi cave.
And of course we walked to the famous film locations of the James Bond movie No Time To Die to take some photos
Then a visit to Casa Cava which is a former rock quarry which has been transformed into an impressive auditorium and culture center where we watched a short film of the history of Matera and present day.
We stopped at the rock church of Sant Antonio Abate, a sacred place carved into rock with a gentleman who sang traditional Matera folk songs
After our walking tour we went to Il Fiore Del Latte for Panino con Burrata Mortadella and Pesto and a Panino con Stracciatella with prosciutto and truffle sauce. These sandwiches were amazing but each had a full jar of either truffle sauce or pesto. We ordered 2 of each to split but even that was Too much for even 2 people sharing. We should have just ordered one of each and split 4 ways. Truffle was seeping from our pores for days after this sandwich!!!
After lunch we decided to hike Murgia Materana Trail. This trail is not for the faint of heart! Let me tell you. The hike begins in the Sassi near Monasterio di Santa Lucia. You decend from there down into the gorge, and once on the bottom you cross the river on a “bouncy” suspension bridge. Then you climb up to the belvedere on the other side where you will reach the large caves carved into the limestone.
We started the hike at 2:45 pm and finished at 4:45pm. After the hike we found the nearest spot that served the best aperol spritzes we’ve ever tasted!!!
For dinner tonight we went to Osteria Al Casale. Our entire meal here was absolutely fantastic. Food was 5 stars. Service 5 stars. Highly recommend! Our starters were: a beef carpaccio with sundried tomatoes and almond bread crumbs, and a potato pie with stracciatella cheese and sweet pepper. Our pastas were: Truffle ravioli with parmesan cheese and pine nuts, a pumpkin risotto with gorgonzola and hazelnuts, orecchiette with sausage and horseradish cream. And our mains were a traditional lamb dish that is cooked in a broth with vegetables and covered with a bread dough and a pork fillet with bacon and a carrot ginger sauce.
The only downside to our meal was that we were too full to order dessert!
However, the walk back to our room was so lovely. Matera is beautiful at night all lit up
May 18
We are so bummed that we have to leave Matera today! But before we do, we all really wanted to check out Madonna de Idris caveoso rock church. This is the rock church that towers over the top of Montrione and is the most panoramic rock church in the Sasso Caveoso.
After the church visit we hopped into our pre-booked shuttle back to our car and departed for our next destination….
Michelle's Travel Adventures 
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