On Saturday, 26 September, from 7:15 pm to 8:15 pm, the electric lights of the Sasso Barisano will be switched off, leaving the district illuminated solely by thousands of small lamps.
Matera Cielo Stellato® returns: at the sound of a trumpet, residents will light the lamps placed on balconies and windowsills, while volunteers from local associations will have already arranged hundreds more along streets, alleyways and staircases. Seen from above, the Barisano will resemble a starry sky.
The tradition has been documented in Matera since the mid-15th century and was associated with visits by distinguished guests. In the 16th century, Leandro Alberti described how, at sunset, a town crier would instruct every family living in the Sassi to place a lamp outside their home: viewed from the upper part of the city, it looked as though the sky were beneath their feet. The last historical records of the custom date back to the early 19th century.
The ritual returned to the Sasso Barisano in 2013, based on an idea by Francesco Foschino, during the years of Matera’s bid to become European Capital of Culture. In 2019, the lamps were lit for the opening ceremony of Matera European Capital of Culture, and last September they once again illuminated the district. On the steps of Matera Cathedral in Piazza Duomo, the Associazione Corale Cantori Materani, conducted by Alessandra Barbaro, and the Coro della Polifonica Materana Pierluigi da Palestrina, conducted by Carmine Antonio Catenazzo, will perform a cappella.
The programme brings together traditional songs from Matera, rearranged for choir, with pieces in Spanish, French, Hebrew and Arabic, as well as songs in Neapolitan, Sardinian and Sicilian dialects. These languages carry in their vocabulary and rhythms centuries of encounters and exchanges among the peoples of the Mediterranean.
The two choirs will alternate in a kind of dialogue across the square, coming together only for the final piece, An Irish Blessing. Between their performances, the voice of Badrya Razem, an Italian-Algerian singer and Jazz Singing lecturer at the Cilea Conservatory in Reggio Calabria, will connect the different stages of the musical journey through her distinctive microtonal inflections. Razem will open the programme with the Palestinian lullaby Yumma Mwel el hawa and will later perform the Ave Maria in Arabic.
The Polifonica Materana will perform the traditional Matera song La Candenére, the Neapolitan tarantella Cicerenella, Luna by Michele Turnu, E si fussi pisci in Luciano Berio’s arrangement, Esta tierra by Javier Busto and Canto di fraternità, based on a Hebrew melody.
The Cantori Materani will perform two pieces from Matera’s musical tradition arranged by Damiano D’Ambrosio, Cupa cupa and the lullaby U ‘llup s’è manget la pichiredd. Their programme also includes the Sardinian song A Diosa, Santa Lucia luntana, Pierre Certon’s Renaissance chanson Je ne l’ose dire, and Le voci del creato, composed by Saverio Mercadante to verses by Silvio Pellico.
How to experience Matera Cielo Stellato®
Matera Cielo Stellato® can be experienced from the city’s panoramic viewpoints overlooking the Sasso Barisano or by walking down through its alleyways and staircases, surrounded by the warm glow of the lamps.
Throughout the event, public lighting in the district will remain switched off. Residents and local businesses are also invited to help create the atmosphere by switching off their outdoor lights.
From 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Via D’Addozio, Via Fiorentini and Via Sant’Antonio Abate will be closed to traffic, with no parking permitted and vehicles subject to removal throughout the day. During the same hours, musical entertainment will not be permitted in the Sasso Barisano or in the surrounding streets.
Some of the most scenic viewpoints from which to experience the event include:
Piazza Duomo
Via Duomo
Via Tre Corone
Piazza Vittorio Veneto
Via San Rocco
Via San Giovanni Vecchio
Via Santa Cesarea
Sant’Agostino church forecourt
Via D’Addozio
Matera Cielo Stellato® was conceived by Francesco Foschino and is a registered trademark of Francesco Foschino, Vito Cappuccio and Saverio Tarasco, who are also responsible for the event’s scenic design.
The event is promoted by the Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019 and the Municipality of Matera, in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina, as part of the programme of Matera 2026 Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue.
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