Diocesan Museum of Matera
Patrimonio culturale
The Diocesan Museum of Matera is located near the Cathedral of Bruna and has been set up in ancient renovated rooms of the diocese.
The museum consists of 3 large rooms in which various works of sacred art are exhibited. The museum itinerary unfolds starts from the present day and reaches the origins of the church of Matera. It currently houses a large number of sacred silvers probably dating back to between the 11th and 19th centuries from the treasure of the Cathedral of Matera and from Santa Chiara church.
Among the oldest objects exhibited at the Diocesan Museum of Matera stands out the Byzantine manufacture enkolpion, or pectoral cross, datable to around the mid-11th century.
The Abbey of St Michele Arcangelo
Patrimonio culturale
The Abbey of St Michele Arcangelo
In the splendid natural setting offered by the two lake basins of Monticchio, stands the Abbey of St Michele Arcangelo. The Abbey was built in the 8th century AD on the site of a cave, dug into the tuff, inhabited by Basilian monks.
Today, a multi-storey convent, an 18th-century church and the Chapel of St Michele Arcangelo are part of the complex. The Angel Cave dedicated to St Michele is adorned with frescoes dating back to the mid 11th century and was the place where the Italo-Greek monks who once inhabited the area used to gather in prayer.
Very attractive is the view from the church of the Monticchio lakes, which was made possible by the opening of the late-medieval façade of the sanctuary along the corridor connecting the guest quarters to the convent. Finally, a small room, connected to the left side aisle, was converted into a chapel to house the high altar removed from the presbytery after the destruction of the Baroque decoration.
Acerenza - The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and San Canio
Patrimonio culturale
In Romanesque-Gothic style, the Cathedral of Acerenza is one of the most precious treasures of Basilicata’s religious heritage. It was built in the 9th century on the site of an early Christian church, itself built on a pagan temple dedicated to Hercules Acheruntinus, at the behest of Archbishop Arnaldo, abbot of the Abbey of Cluny.
In the shape of a Latin cross, with a series of successive turrets and apses and an evocative Renaissance crypt under the presbytery, the imposing cathedral is a treasure trove of artistic treasures, including the frescoes by Todisco of Abriola that cover the ceiling.
Paleontological Museum of Rotonda
Patrimonio culturale
Inside the Natural and Paleontological Museum, the recomposed remains of a specimen of Elephas antiquus italicus dating back to the middle upper Pleistocene (400,000 – 700,000 years ago) are exhibited as well as other fossil finds of other animal, vegetable and mineral species. Other important animal remains have recently been discovered, including the skeleton of a Hippopotamus and, for the first time, a hut and some shards from the Bronze Age (1,500-2,000 years BC), evidence of the presence of man in the Valle del Mercure valley, today in the Pollino National Park.
Natural history Museum of Vulture
Patrimonio culturale
The natural beauty of an untouched ecosystem like that of the Vulture is on display inside the Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo in Monticchio (Rionero in Vulture).
The museum route includes seven stages on two levels, from Atella’s Homo Erectus to the present day, which offer knowledge of the urban settlements of the area and allow you to explore the animal and plant world, home of the rare “Bramea” moth.
