Like every city or town in Italy, Matera has a number of churches. However, nowhere else in
Italy, and possibly even the world, will one see such a diverse collection of buildings related to
the Christian faith. Some even believe that the very first "churches" ever used for worship were
formed in the slopes of the surrounding ravine.
The Cathedral (1268–1270) is an important monument, and has been dedicated to Santa Maria
della Bruna since 1389. Built in an Apulian-Romanesque architectural style, the church has a 52m
tall bell tower, and next to the main gate is a statue of the Maria della Bruna, backed by those of
Sts. Peter and Paul. The main feature of the façade is the rose window, divided by sixteen small columns. The interior is on the Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles. The decoration is mainly from the 18th century Baroque restoration, but recently a Byzantine-style fourteenth-century fresco portraying the Last Judgment has been discovered.
There are many other churches and monasteries dating back throughout the history of the Christian church. Some are simple caves with a single altar and maybe a fresco, often located on the opposite side of the ravine. Some are complex cave networks with large underground chambers, thought to
have been used for meditation by the rupestric and cenobitic monks.
