Chiesa di Santa Lucia alle Malve, Cave church in Rione Malve, Matera, Italy.
Santa Lucia alle Malve is a cave church with three naves carved directly into the rock of the hillside. Multiple entrances lead into separate chambers that were designed for different religious purposes and gatherings.
This church started in the 8th century as the first Benedictine convent for women in Matera. When the community moved to another neighborhood in 1283, the building took on a different role in the town's religious life.
The painted walls inside show how worshippers expressed their faith through religious images over centuries. These decorations reveal what mattered most to the people who prayed in this space and how they wanted to decorate their sacred place.
Wear comfortable shoes because the rock surface is uneven and some chambers are reached by steep pathways. Bring a flashlight since some interior areas receive little natural light from outside.
The central space inside was organized around a wall of religious images influenced by Greek Orthodox traditions. The arrangement of the worship areas rises step by step toward the decorated altar, creating a natural flow through the sacred space.
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