The Cammino Materano is a spiritual journey of resistance against the frenzy of modernity: slowness is indeed the true destination, the key to understanding oneself and the world around us.Because only on foot can we fully know and understand what lies within and outside us, and only by traveling on foot can we connect with the true essence of the land, understood as nature and history, human relationships, food and wine, and hospitality.
The project is recognized in the Atlas of the Paths of the Ministry of Culture and the Puglia Region;it has also been named a European best practice by the Green Pilgrimage International Cooperation Project.
The Cammino is composed of six different routes named after the ancient names of the geographical areas they pass through, with the exception of the Via Sveva, dedicated to the extraordinary figure of Frederick II.These routes vary greatly in length, characteristics, and environmental and cultural heritage, but they all point to a single destination: Matera.
Starting from the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari, the column on the Appian Way in Brindisi, the Cathedral of San Nicola Pellegrino in Trani, the Basilica of Finibus Terrae in Leuca, the Cathedral of Santa Maria della Purificazione in Termoli, and the Temple of Hera in Paestum, you can reach the Cathedral of the Madonna della Bruna in Matera (a Black Madonna) : a journey through Puglia, Basilicata, Campania, and Molise, lands of transit by ancient vocation and tradition, which throughout their millennia-old history have witnessed the passage of countless travelers from across the Mediterranean Basin.
The Way does not follow a strictly "philological" route like the Appian Way or the Trajan Way, but has integrated secondary Roman roads, medieval streets, sheep tracks, and paths, with the aim of maintaining a common goal—that of traversing the unexplored interior of Southern Italy, reaching the heart of a territory now considered marginal, but which for millennia has been a central hub for diverse populations and cultures.
Currently, three routes are open and accessible independently: the Via Peuceta (from Bari to Matera) and the Via Ellenica (from Brindisi to Matera).The Via Lucana, from Tricarico to Matera.
