Palazzo dell'Annunziata (Annunziata Palace), Matera

Picture yourself on Vittorio Veneto Square, where the Annunziata Palace looms in stone, carrying with it three centuries of change. Work began in 1739 under Valentino da Bitonto, who planned a standard Dominican convent with the church at its heart. But he was dismissed only a few years later, and in 1742 Manieri da Lecce took over, tearing up the scheme and swapping the central church for a courtyard. The result still hints at its monastic origin, but with a far more open and civic character.

By the mid-19th century, the building shifted again. Engineer Gaetano di Giorgio added a new Annunciation Church in 1844, finally giving the Dominican nuns their sanctuary. Their tenure, however, was short-lived鈥攚hen religious orders were suppressed in 1861, the convent became civic property. Over the following decades, its halls echoed with courtrooms, classrooms, and offices, adapting steadily as Matera itself moved from cloistered stronghold to provincial capital.

Time left its marks. In 1900 a clock was placed on the exterior, symbolizing its civic role, while the earthquake of 1980 nearly emptied the building altogether. Restoration in 1998 revived the palace and brought in the Provincial Library 鈥淭ommaso Stigliani鈥�, which now shelters thousands of manuscripts, rare volumes, and even a significant coin collection鈥攖ransforming a once-religious space into a repository of knowledge.

Architecturally, the palace carries both late Baroque and early Neoclassical traits, its arcades and balanced fa莽ade anchoring the square alongside the Church of Saint Domenico. From its steps, the view sweeps across Vittorio Veneto and into the Sassi, reminding you how Matera鈥檚 past has been written equally in cloisters, classrooms, and libraries.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Matera. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Palazzo dell'Annunziata (Annunziata Palace)
Sight Location: Matera, Italy (See walking tours in Matera)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Matera Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Matera, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Matera

Creating your own self-guided walk in Matera is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Matera Introduction Walking Tour

Architectural historian Anne Parmly Toxey said the cave areas of Matera had been occupied for at least 3,000 years. Archaeological research shows people lived here since the Paleolithic era, shaping homes and communal spaces directly into the soft limestone. Over centuries, those modest caves expanded into an intricate neighborhood鈥攕tone dwellings, churches, and twisting passageways stacked upon... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles

Matera's Ancient Cave Churches

Within the old city of Matera, there are more than 160 churches. Many of these are actually carved into the soft limestone cliffs lining the Gravina River. There are even some used for pagan rituals. The churches were carved from existing caves and tunnels. More than a few sanctified cave churches have been converted to storage and homes.

A good example to start with is the St. Anthony... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles

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