Matera has a very ancient tradition of skilled artisans whose professional abilities and secrets have been handed down from one generation to another.

In the area located between Sassi, the ancient district of Matera, and the center of the city you can find those artisans’ laboratories where you can admire their creations that sometimes combine the traditional forms to the research of a personal style; the final results is unique manufactured articles and objects that tell everybody the story of a city and the story of ancient families tradition!

The Palazzo Gattini gives its guests the opportunity of getting in a special and unique touch with those artisans that will give a live demonstration of how they make their artefacts. The areas of the city in which handicraft activities are mostly concentrated are: Piazza del Sedile, Via delle Beccherie, Via San Biagio and the whole area of the Sassi district.

Here there are some suggestions for you:

• - Elisa & Janna, realize jewellery sculpture using pipes of recycled copper and other environmentally friendly materials.
• - Geppetto, artist of clay artefacts the most typical of whom is the “cuccù”, a terracotta whistle whose curious significance the artisan will explain to you.
• - Raffaele Pentasuglia, master of ceramics.
• - Feelosophy, makes house clothing furniture using cotton and an ancient print techniques.
• - Schiuma Post Design, realizes tools in wood and furniture for houses interiors.
• - Massimo Casiello, located in Via Ridola, sculptor and engraver of the wood that makes personalized items for his costumers.
• - Rubino, a leather artisan who realizes leather bags, jewels and objects suitable for home furnishing.
• - Daciarte, handicraft laboratory of the terracotta.
• - Materia, a historic activity based on metal processing and jewelery making.
• - Officine Frida, in the street of Casalnuovo, handicraft tailoring that produces suits using and recycling cloths.
• - Furthermore, in the Sassi, there are also many activities that work tuff and produce souvenirs and other items.

This, obviously is not the full list of the handicraft activities in Matera. Many others the Palazzo Gattini staff will suggest you in order to give you the occasion of personally seeing and experiencing the ancient and unique traditions of Matera’s artisans.