Rating
4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)
User Reviews
Timothy Tranchilla (5 months ago)
Really great experience. The voiceover was excellent and the explanations were clear. We didn’t buy in advance, but visited in low season and were able to book on the spot. The site is clean and well maintained. You have to arrive a bit early and meet at the farm before the cave in order to confirm your attendance, but otherwise was straightforward once we all got organized and left together. Super interesting and beautifully crafted Christian themed paintings from the 8-9th (!!!) centuries - before the Muslim invasion in 849. Absolutely incredible.
Really great experience. The voiceover was excellent and the explanations were clear. We didn’t buy in advance, but visited in low season and were able to book on the spot. The site is clean and well maintained. You have to arrive a bit early and meet at the farm before the cave in order to confirm your attendance, but otherwise was straightforward once we all got organized and left together. Super interesting and beautifully crafted Christian themed paintings from the 8-9th (!!!) centuries - before the Muslim invasion in 849. Absolutely incredible.
Emily Carroll (6 months ago)
It was not made clear that punctuality is absolutely essential. Every other museum I've visited with timed entry has been flexible if you arrive a few minutes late. I assumed this would be the case here, too, since I had to specify the requested audioguide language for each member of my group. I understood this to mean we would have some independence. Furthermore, the website indicates the cave is a 15 minute drive from Matera. It does not explain that the ticket booth is a 15 minute drive but the cave itself requires a further drive down a narrow and steep dirt road, then a small hike down a rocky stairway. All in all, it's more like 30 minutes than 15 minutes. We arrived around 10 minutes late due to all of this and were dismayed to find it was just one recording being played for all attendees, which was already underway. No explanation making clear that the experience would be like thks. No attempt to contact us to ask where we were before starting. Once we arrived, we were told it was "almost over" and I was therefore not offered an audioguide in the language I requested, meaning I ended up understanding nothing. The man managing the site offered a solution which at first I understood was to replay the audio once it had finished. But no, his solution was for us to return in an hour for the next showing - extremely impracticable. A waste of time and money, sadly. More clarity on the website and in the welcome email would have avoided all of this and made for a much better experience.
It was not made clear that punctuality is absolutely essential. Every other museum I've visited with timed entry has been flexible if you arrive a few minutes late. I assumed this would be the case here, too, since I had to specify the requested audioguide language for each member of my group. I understood this to mean we would have some independence. Furthermore, the website indicates the cave is a 15 minute drive from Matera. It does not explain that the ticket booth is a 15 minute drive but the cave itself requires a further drive down a narrow and steep dirt road, then a small hike down a rocky stairway. All in all, it's more like 30 minutes than 15 minutes. We arrived around 10 minutes late due to all of this and were dismayed to find it was just one recording being played for all attendees, which was already underway. No explanation making clear that the experience would be like thks. No attempt to contact us to ask where we were before starting. Once we arrived, we were told it was "almost over" and I was therefore not offered an audioguide in the language I requested, meaning I ended up understanding nothing. The man managing the site offered a solution which at first I understood was to replay the audio once it had finished. But no, his solution was for us to return in an hour for the next showing - extremely impracticable. A waste of time and money, sadly. More clarity on the website and in the welcome email would have avoided all of this and made for a much better experience.
E M (8 months ago)
Very neat experience, and amazing to think that you’re sitting in a place with such history. Be aware the audio devices for English speakers are poor quality. It is also a very quick experience and many of the paintings are missing/deteriorated. Also, if you purchase tickets online, be sure to stop at the white building first which is the ticket office.
Very neat experience, and amazing to think that you’re sitting in a place with such history. Be aware the audio devices for English speakers are poor quality. It is also a very quick experience and many of the paintings are missing/deteriorated. Also, if you purchase tickets online, be sure to stop at the white building first which is the ticket office.
Aly Henry (10 months ago)
Not worth the almost 11 euro per person entrance fee. After following an unpaved road for 15 minutes in the car - filled with holes and overgrown brush - you buy a ticket and everyone drives their own cars down to the crypt area. Once there you literally just sit on the floor listening to a recording for 20 minutes then OVER. One room - no possibility to walk around - horrible audio recording to listen to that is clearly just trying to fill space so they can validate charging such a high entrance fee.
Not worth the almost 11 euro per person entrance fee. After following an unpaved road for 15 minutes in the car - filled with holes and overgrown brush - you buy a ticket and everyone drives their own cars down to the crypt area. Once there you literally just sit on the floor listening to a recording for 20 minutes then OVER. One room - no possibility to walk around - horrible audio recording to listen to that is clearly just trying to fill space so they can validate charging such a high entrance fee.
Karlien du Toit (2 years ago)
Very interesting to visit. The tour doesn't take very long. You get to sit inside the church cave and they play a recording, telling you about the history.
Very interesting to visit. The tour doesn't take very long. You get to sit inside the church cave and they play a recording, telling you about the history.
