Piazza Vittorio Veneto (Vittorio Veneto Square), Matera
Vittorio Veneto Square in Matera has worn several names and carried just as many roles across the centuries. Today it honors the Italian victory over Austria-Hungary in 1918 at Vittorio Veneto, but earlier it was Plebiscite Square, marking the annexation of Rome in 1870, and before that Fontana Square, centered on a fountain restored in 1832 under King Ferdinando II. Every name leaves a trace of political and civic shifts, layered much like the city itself.
By the 18th and 19th centuries, as Matera grew beyond its cave dwellings, the square became the stage for modern life. Neoclassical fa莽ades and arcades framed it, while the Annunziata Palace and the Church of Saint Domenico kept watch. The belvedere, with its round arches and terraces, offered a vantage point to the cathedral and the Sassi below, as if the city itself were pausing to admire its past carved into stone.
The most extraordinary story, though, runs beneath the paving stones. In 1832, the Palombaro Lungo was hewed into the rock: an immense underground cistern with stone columns and soaring arches, often called a 鈥渨ater cathedral.鈥� It gathered and stored rainwater, sustaining Matera until the Apulian Aqueduct was completed in the 20th century. What looks like an elegant square above is, in fact, sitting on centuries of ingenious engineering below.
Today the plaza balances daily bustle with historic weight. Markets, cafes, and events fill the open space, while its terraces give clear views into the Sassi, linking Matera鈥檚 ancient stone labyrinth with its modern rhythms. Here, civic life and deep history continue to meet in plain sight.
By the 18th and 19th centuries, as Matera grew beyond its cave dwellings, the square became the stage for modern life. Neoclassical fa莽ades and arcades framed it, while the Annunziata Palace and the Church of Saint Domenico kept watch. The belvedere, with its round arches and terraces, offered a vantage point to the cathedral and the Sassi below, as if the city itself were pausing to admire its past carved into stone.
The most extraordinary story, though, runs beneath the paving stones. In 1832, the Palombaro Lungo was hewed into the rock: an immense underground cistern with stone columns and soaring arches, often called a 鈥渨ater cathedral.鈥� It gathered and stored rainwater, sustaining Matera until the Apulian Aqueduct was completed in the 20th century. What looks like an elegant square above is, in fact, sitting on centuries of ingenious engineering below.
Today the plaza balances daily bustle with historic weight. Markets, cafes, and events fill the open space, while its terraces give clear views into the Sassi, linking Matera鈥檚 ancient stone labyrinth with its modern rhythms. Here, civic life and deep history continue to meet in plain sight.
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Piazza Vittorio Veneto (Vittorio Veneto Square) on Map
Sight Name: Piazza Vittorio Veneto (Vittorio Veneto Square)
Sight Location: Matera, Italy (See walking tours in Matera)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Matera, Italy (See walking tours in Matera)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
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'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
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
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
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles