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Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
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The ornament collection spans decades.
The Hallmark Collection at the Henry Ford Museum
Crunchy and supremely satisfying, suppli might be the ultimate street food snack.
Supplizio
Front of El Rancho.
Historic El Rancho Hotel
The space is crowded with original artworks kept by the artist.
Hassan Al-Sharq Museum
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Crunchy and supremely satisfying, suppli might be the ultimate street food snack.
Supplizio
The pedigreed pistachios here are from Bronte.
Gelateria dei Gracchi
This tiny hole-in-the-wall serves one of the world’s most magnificent sandwiches.
Er Buchetto
Seafood features prominently on the menu.
Dakar NOLA
The kabrit, or twice-cooked goat, with plantains and rice and beans is essential.
Fritai
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Berza gitana is one of the exemplary dishes of Gitano cuisine.
How Gitano Cuisine Found a Home in Andalusia
about 4 hours ago
Greenland dogs—crucial to the sledge patrol’s transport and defense—pull a patrolman’s sled.
How Greenland’s Dog-Sled Patrol Became Unsung Heroes of World War II
about 18 hours ago
1763 Monument in Georgetown, Guyana.
The Berbice Rebellion of 1763 Ended With a Letter
about 24 hours ago
A listener in Toronto explored Casa Loma, and a nearby park that made the city disappear.
How the Pandemic Helped Our Listeners Rediscover Their Own Neighborhoods
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All Italy Matera

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Matera

6 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Matera, Italy

Updated August 19, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Matera

Looking out onto la Civita, the city center, from an ancient grotto in Sassi di Matera.

Matera, Italy

Sassi di Matera

People have been living in the cave houses on this Italian hillside since the Neolithic era.
Paintings on the walls

Matera, Italy

The Crypt of the Original Sin

A cave in southern Italy adorned with thousand-year-old Biblical frescoes existed in obscurity until fairly recently.
Skulls on the wooden door.

Matera, Italy

Chiesa del Purgatorio

Skulls and skeletons are omnipresent in this church dedicated to souls trapped in purgatory.
The sculpture park.

Matera, Italy

La Palomba

An abandoned quarry hides an open-air gallery of huge sculptures, some made from the rubble of 9/11.
Centro di Geodesia Spaziale (Center for Space Geodesy)

Matera, Italy

Centro di Geodesia Spaziale (Center for Space Geodesy)

One of the few places of its kind, this space research center sits deep in the countryside of Matera.
Piazza degli Olmi

Matera, Italy

Piazza degli Olmi

A unique urban square characterized by raw concrete structures and bold geometric forms.
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Gravina in Puglia, Italy

Ponte Acquedotto

An impressive bridge over a ravine also served as an aqueduct.
14 miles from Matera
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Explore Matera, Italy

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Caves 2
Architecture 2
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Matera Leaderboard

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Recent Matera Activity

  • EParks

    wants to go to The Crypt of the Original Sin

    4 days ago
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    wants to go to Chiesa del Purgatorio

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    wants to go to La Palomba

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    wants to go to Chiesa del Purgatorio

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    has been to Sassi di Matera

    2 days ago

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