Madonna De Idris rock church

The church of S. Maria de Idris is located in the Sasso Caveoso, in a central position, on a rocky spur surmounted by a cross commemorating the Pauline Missions of 1937.

The church can be reached from Via B. Buozzi via a flight of steps that winds its way among the dwellings of the Sassi di Matera, to the top of the rocky spur; here there is a small door surmounted by a lunette now abraded by time and man. The church has a single, irregular room (nave), with a vaulted built part resting on the limestone boulder, and is dedicated to the Madonna de Idris, a probable translation from the Greek ‘Odigitria’, ‘she who guides the way’, or as it is commonly known by the local population, Madonna del Litro (in the local dialect, Madenn du Lutr), due to the presence of two mezzine (water containers) at the feet of the Madonna.

Inside, in addition to a modern altar, dated 1807, you can see a series of frescoes, dating back to the 16th century, much ruined by graffiti and inscriptions produced by vandals. The following can be seen: a St Michael Archangel in the act of trampling on the devil; in the intrados of the arch, a Madonna in prayer, facing the columbine of the Holy Spirit descending from the right side; a tempera depicting the Madonna de Idris; a St Eustace facing the deer between whose horns is the cross; a Nativity and St Anthony of Padua. Inside the right chapel, on the rock, a crucifixion with a Renaissance city in the background.