MONTESCAGLIOSO

S. MICHELE ARCANGELO ABBEY

S.M. Arcangelo’s Abbey is a stately monastic complex whose construction started about the beginning of the XIth century. Inside the Abbey we find two large cloisters bordered by pillars whose capitals show exquisite workmanship , a monilithic well whit interesting bass/relifs, a series of frescoes from different schools and ages from the XVIth century onwards.

THE MOTHER CHURCH OF SS. APOSTOLI PIETRO E PAOLO XV

CENTURY

The ‘Parco Regionale Archeologico Storico Naturale delle Chiese Rupestri del Materano’ extends for over six thousand hectares between the Matera area and the Montescaglioso area.

The park, with its 6000 hectares, includes 130 rock churches, some of which are underground, dug out from the tuffa rock. It is a fairytale-like itinerary, surrounded by beautiful vegetation and full of aromatic and medicinal herbs and plants, with a great quantity of bird species.

Within the perimeter of the park, it is possible to

visit the beautiful rock churches, where monks of

Italian-Greek rite found shelter and spiritual

relief.

They imported rupestrian models of architecture

and iconography. The churches, often frescoed

with sacred images of Christ, the Virgin Mary,

the Saints and the Apostles, are a wonderful

example of mixture of Byzantine and western art.