Stone Beehives - Excursion to the Hidden Heart of the Murgia

Duration: 2h 30min

Provided by Michele Garofalo

Overview

Includes

Meeting point

Reviews

Stone Beehives - Excursion to the Hidden Heart of the Murgia Italy — #1

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Overview of the tour in Matera

Michele Garofalo (environmental hiking guide) will lead you to the rediscovery of ancient rock sites and priceless environmental treasures guarded from the bowels of the earth. An interweaving of art, archaeology, nature, and history that fears few rivals.

As a first step, we will meet in the center at the agreed time to head via bus to Constellations Square, in the suburban area, and from there to Contrada Sant'Angelo.

1 - The first stop on our way will be the famous Bat Cave, a fabulous place inhabited by man since the Neolithic period and dedicated in medieval times to the cult of St. Michael.

2 - The second stop will be the Ofra complex, located nearby. Here, we will be able to admire from above the spectacular rock site of S. Pellegrino, whose outer walls host in quantity the so-called "avucchiare": small cells dug into the rock in which colonies of bees were once bred. In the same area, one can come across ancestral underground tombs, ancient cisterns, and archaeological remains from 4,000 years ago.

3 - A few hundred meters away stands a cave church embellished with beautiful rock paintings in a good state of preservation.

This activity includes:

Grotta dei Pipistrelli
Chiesa Rupestre di San Nicola all'Ofra
S. Pellegrino

Meeting point

Matera, Il Nespolo Affittacamere

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On arrival

The appointment is for 9:30 a.m. in downtown Matera, at the Station Peregrinorum of the Matera Walks, located in the courtyard of the B&B il Nespolo.

Things to note

Try to come with appropriate equipment: long pants and hiking or sneakers are necessary. Bring with you at least one liter of water each. Make sure to arrive on time, as we will have to take a bus to move to our destination, about 3-4 kilometers from the center, Agna le Piane area. To return to the center, you will be dropped back to catch the same bus at the end of the hike.