Sasso Barisano
Matera, Italy
The other main cave district, home to many of the boutique cave hotels.
Places in Sasso Barisano
- Artema, Vetera Matera Focuses on regional Basilicata specialties using seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients for romantic dinners.
- Sasso Barisano cave bars Wine bars carved into the tuff stone, serving Basilicata's Aglianico del Vulture wine.
Practical notes for Matera
- Best time to visit
- April to June and September to October offer comfortable temperatures for exploring the sassi on foot.
- Getting around
- Matera's Sassi districts are entirely walkable, though steep steps and uneven stone paths make comfortable shoes essential.
- Currency
- Euro (€)
- Language
- Italian. English is common in tourist areas.
- Timezone
- CET (UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer)
- Current trends
- Former cave dwellings continue being repurposed into unique luxury hotels for sophisticated travellers, with properties like Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita pairing ancient stone with modern amenities like heated floors and Philippe Starck bathtubs.
Other neighborhoods in Matera
- Sasso Caveoso — One of the two main cave districts, considered the more atmospheric and less renovated of the two.
- Civita — The hilltop area between the two Sassi districts, home to the cathedral.
Read the full Matera guide