Via Ridola (Ridola Street), Matera

Ridola street might only run a couple of hundred meters through Matera, but it carries the weight of centuries. It鈥檚 named after Domenico Ridola, the physician-turned-amateur archaeologist who dug into local caves and revealed just how far back Matera鈥檚 story stretches. He was also mayor, senator, and the kind of citizen who leaves a permanent mark鈥攈is finds became the foundation of the Archaeological Museum that now bears his name. The museum, housed in the former Saint Chiara Convent, still displays everything from Neolithic tools to Greek relics, alongside Ridola鈥檚 own manuscripts.

The street itself took shape during the baroque makeover of Matera in the 17th and 18th centuries. Archbishop Antonio Del Ryos ordered a new district beyond the crowded Sassi, calling it the 鈥淣ew Houses,鈥� and Ridola Street became its backbone. Palaces and churches rose along its edges, setting the stage for a new civic quarter that contrasted with the ancient caves below. Walking today, you鈥檒l pass the fa莽ade of the Church of Purgatorio, with skulls carved into its stonework, and the Church of San Francesco, a baroque flourish in an otherwise austere landscape. Lanfranchi Palace, built as a seminary in 1672, now serves as the National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of Basilicata, housing sacred art, Neapolitan canvases, and works by Carlo Levi, the artist and writer who turned Matera into a symbol of resilience.

The walk ends at Pascoli Belvedere Square, where the land suddenly opens up to reveal the cathedral on the ridge, the Sassi spilling into the Gravina gorge, and the plateau beyond. Ridola street, in that sense, is more than a street鈥攊t鈥檚 Matera鈥檚 timeline, condensed into one elegant stroll.

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: Via Ridola (Ridola Street)
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'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

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

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