Palombaro Lungo
On Gingerguide's self-guided Matera audio tour, Palombaro Lungo is a stop worth about ~60 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Matera Matera guide
About Palombaro Lungo
An extraordinary underground cistern of around 5 million litres capacity built between the 16th and 18th centuries beneath Piazza Vittorio Veneto, a vast cave space that was the main water supply for the city of Matera for over three centuries.
The Palombaro Lungo is the largest and most impressive of Matera's many underground cisterns, a vast artificial cave of approximately 5 million litres capacity, built between the 16th and 18th centuries beneath the modern Piazza Vittorio Veneto (the main square of the upper city). The cistern was fed by rainwater collected from the rooftops and streets of the upper city and was the principal water supply for Matera for over three centuries. Rediscovered in 1991 during works on the piazza, it was cleaned and opened to visitors in 2013. Today you can descend into the enormous underground space on guided tours, and see a glimpse of the extraordinary engineering feat that allowed the city to survive in a landscape with no surface water sources.
Did you know? The Palombaro Lungo could hold approximately 5 million litres of water, enough to supply the entire upper city of Matera for several months. In a city with no natural springs or rivers, this cistern was literally the difference between survival and death during drought years.
How much time do you need at Palombaro Lungo?
Around ~60 min works well for Palombaro Lungo — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Palombaro Lungo?
Yes — Palombaro Lungo made the cut as one of 15 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Matera. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Matera
Hear the story of Palombaro Lungo
Preview the Matera tour free in the Gingerguide app.