Crypt of the Original Sin, Matera, Italy

The Crypt of the Original Sin, in Matera, is located inside a natural cave on the Murgia plateau, near the old Appian Way. Commonly known as “the Sistine Chapel of rupestrian art”, the Crypt was discovered in 1963 by a group of local youths, who noticed the splendid frescoes in what at the time, had become a shelter for sheep herds. Experts later dated the cycle of paintings back to the second half of the 8th century, with Late-Romanesque style and formal elements of Oriental inspiration, such as the Byzantine-style Triarchsand the profile of the Virgin Mary, majestically represented in the sumptuous clothes of the Byzantine empress, the Basilissa.

The anonymous, humble artist – who was soon nicknamed the “Flower Painter” – depicted biblical figures in total freedom: God the Creator, Light and Darkness, Adam and Eve, the three Apostles John, Peter and Andrew, the Archangels and Mary. The paintings on the rough walls of the cave are different and unique in Matera’s iconographic context. The scenes are the fruit of the painter’s personal creativity and certainly speak of his freedom in translating complex depictions, and of a lively spontaneity in drawing images.

Paintings of flowers complete the cycle, while other frescoes are difficult to interpret due to their poor state of preservation. All the depictions are described by an inscription in Latin.

You can visit from Tuesday to Sunday, by appointment only.

References:

criptadelpeccatooriginale.it

User Reviews

Timothy Tranchilla (2 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.

Emily Carroll (3 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.

E M (5 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.

Aly Henry (7 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.

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.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Following Hadrian

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.

Crypt of the Original Sin

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople