Parco Archeologico Storico Naturale delle Chiese Rupestri del Materano

Archaeological Natural Park of Rock Churches of Matera, simply called Matera's Murgia Park, is located in the east part of Basilicata and covers an area of about 8000 hectares between Matera and Montescaglioso. It was established in 1990 with the aim of protecting the area of Matera's Murgia, a particularly evocative atmosphere crossed by caves of Matera, Picciano and Bradano river. The area of Park is listed as World Heritage Site along with Sassi of Matera. Main features of Park is the presence of over a hundred rock churches decorated with frescoes. Partly excavated and partly built, the churches have a single nave, like Crypt of the ladder and Our Lady of the Cross; two aisles, like Church of Old and Capuchin Crypt, or three aisles as Madonna of the Three Doors and St. Peter on Via Appia.