Uccio
Co-founder
Son of Anna Iacovone (a historic local family—Strambalone). Having grown up playing in the alleys of Sasso Caveoso, today he leads the team in an authentic, respectful, and engaging way
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About us
Forty years of walking in the Sassi.
We were born here, under this very stone. For forty years we have been telling travelers about Matera — generation after generation, one story at a time. All locals, all in love with this work.
Our story
A family, a stone, a story that continues.
It all began for the love of this land. No industrial plan, no grand project: just the desire to bring people to where we grew up.
It all began forty years ago, with a chair outside our home and a city to tell its story. Since then, we have grown: children, grandchildren, seven guides today. But the way we show Matera has remained the same — slow, local, and family-run.
The Petronella family
40years
On the paths of the Sassi
since 1985
3generations
A single family
grandparents, children, grandchildren
12miles+
Accompanied travelers
and never a mediocre review
4.9/5
★★★★★ on Google
1,847 verified reviews
Our guides
Eight people from Matera. One single family.
Get to know them before you go. Each will tell you the story of the Sassi in their own way—but all with the same care.
Angel
CO-FOUNDER
Among the founders of Passi nei Sassi, Angelo is a key member of the team. A true Materano, pragmatic and always available, he contributes every day to making our hospitality attentive, authentic, and deeply rooted in the local area.
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Saverio
Co-Founder
Curious about Matera and always looking for new ideas, Saverio turns his passion for the area into experiences, projects, and new ways of telling Matera’s story, with the aim of leaving every traveler with something to remember.
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Marika
Receptionist
Young, radiant, and always ready to welcome you with a smile. She is one of the first faces you will meet at Passi nei Sassi and will know how to recommend the right experience to enjoy Matera to the fullest.
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Annalisa
Expert Matera Guide
Discover Matera through its stories, its traditions, and the people who have lived it. With her, every alley becomes a starting point to discover something you wouldn't find in a guidebook.
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Christian
Expert Materan Guide
He knows the history of Matera stone by stone. Through anecdotes, curiosities, and stories from the past, he manages to make the Sassi speak and show them to you through completely different eyes.
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Francesco
Guide · Professor
The Professor of Sassi. He knows them, lives them, and tells their stories like few others. The watch? With him, it’s merely a detail.
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ANNA
Front Desk Manager
Head of reception and the team’s go-to person. Nothing escapes Anna: she coordinates, organizes, and always finds the right solution, ensuring every detail runs smoothly with precision and care.
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How we work
Four principles, one single promise
They are the things we have held onto for forty years. Even when it would be easier to do things differently.
01
Local guides only
No exceptions. To tell the story of a place, you must have grown up in it. Every Passi nei Sassi guide was born and lives in Matera.
02
Fair price
Twenty euros, tickets included, no surprises. We believe that culture belongs to everyone—not a luxury for the few.
03
Small groups
Maximum ten people per tour. So we can look each other in the eye, ask questions, and stop to talk. No crowds, no megaphones.
04
Time, not rushing
Two and a half hours. Slow. Because you don’t just pass through Matera: you inhabit it for an afternoon. And when you leave, you take its calm with you.
We don’t want to be Matera’s biggest tour. We want to be the one that, when you think back on it at home, makes you want to do it all over again.
The Petronella familySteps in the Stones · Matera