Cripta del Peccato Originale

About the museum

The Cripta del Peccato Originale was the place of worship of a Benedictine rock monastery of the Lombard period. It houses a cycle of frescoes dated between the 8th and 9th centuries, by the artist known as the Pittore dei Fiori di Matera (Painter of the Flowers of Matera), who expresses the characteristics of Benedictine-Beneventan art; for this reason it is called the “Sistine Chapel of the rock churches”.

The left wall is articulated into three niches with the triarchies of the Apostles, of the Virgin Queen and of the Archangels, while the back wall presents a large cycle with episodes of the Creation and of the Original Sin. The rock church was discovered on 1 May 1963 by members of the Circolo La Scaletta of Matera.

In 2001 the Fondazione Zétema, with the advice of the Istituto Centrale del Restauro, started a scientific project for complete recovery: bioclimatic monitoring, geological surveys, drainage and insulation of the roof, mapping of the deterioration and treatment of biological colonisation of the frescoes. The work, also financed by banking foundations and by the 8 per mille (the Italian church-tax allocation), is considered a model for the conservation of rock heritage.

Highlights

• Fresco cycle of the 8th–9th centuries by the Pittore dei Fiori di Matera
• Scenes of the Creation and of the Original Sin
• Triarchies of the Apostles, the Virgin Queen and the Archangels
• Rock church of a Lombard Benedictine monastery
• Restoration with the Istituto Centrale del Restauro

Permanent exhibition

• Ciclo di affreschi altomedievali – Frescoes of the 8th–9th centuries with the Creation, the Original Sin, the Apostles, the Virgin Queen and the Archangels.

Operated by

Fondazione Zétema

Visitors per year

approx. 33,003

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The site warns that access may be impossible or difficult for people with disabilities or reduced mobility: a flight of steps must be climbed and the paving in front of the entrance is uneven. It is advisable to contact the secretariat well in advance. Animals are not admitted.

Kids & families

Getting there & parking

The ticket office is at the Azienda Agricola F.lli Dragone, in the locality of Petrapenta on the provincial road Fondo Valle del Bradano (SS 7 Appia, about km 562–564), about 15 minutes by car from Matera. The crypt is about 700 metres from the ticket office and is reached on foot or by car, following the staff.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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