Matera: The City That Lived in the Rock, Self-Guided App Tour

Matera learned to live inside the rock: rain in cisterns, families in cave rooms, saints cut into the cliff. Italy later emptied the Sassi as shame. The walk starts on Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the Piano, then drops into Palombaro Lungo, the drowned-church cistern under the square. Casa Noha, a noble tufa house given by heirs in 2004, holds the film that explains the emptying. San Pietro Barisano is masonry in front and a cave more than twenty metres deep behind. Ten stops, about 2 km, finishing at San Pietro Caveoso on the lip of the Gravina. How it works This is a self-guided digital walking tour in the StepQuests mobile app. There is no live guide. After booking you receive an email invitation code to unlock the route. Walk at your own pace in Matera with GPS navigation and stories at each stop. Flex PASS ticket: no fixed meeting time or group departure. Meeting point: Piazza Vittorio Veneto (Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Matera). Open the app and tap Start when you arrive. End point: Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso (Chiesa di San Pietro Caveoso, Matera). No vehicle drop-off. Finish the last stop in the app, then leave when you like. Admission: outdoor landmark viewing is included in the route; optional paid interior tickets are not included and not required. Approximate duration: 120 minutes. Stops on route: 10. Highlights on this route Piazza Vittorio Veneto Palombaro Lungo Belvedere Luigi Guerricchio Casa Noha Matera Cathedral Chiesa di San Pietro Barisano Madonna delle Virtù Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario