Maratea Attractions

Maratea is part of the Basilicata region and is the only town in the region located on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Thanks to its beautiful landscapes and coastline, Maratea is called "the pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea" and thanks to the presence of a significant number of churches and chapels, Maratea is called "the city of 44 churches".

Maratea includes several small villages: Acquafredda, Cersuta, Fiumicello, Porto, Marina di Maratea, Castrocucco, scattered along the coast, and Castello, Santa Caterina, Massa, Brefaro, located on the hills with stunning views of the sea.

The old town of Maratea is located on the northern slopes of Mount San Biagio, on the top of which a statue of Christ the Redeemer was built in 1965 from Carrara marble, designed by Florentine sculptor Bruno Innocenti.

In the main street of the historic center of Maratea are located three of the oldest churches: the Church of the Sorrowful Virgin Mary (Chiesa dell'Addolorata), the Church of the Annunciation (Chiesa dell'Annunziata) and the Church of the Immaculate Conception (Chiesa dell'Immacolata).

The Church of the Sorrowful Virgin Mary, built in 1620, is characterized by a stone obelisk placed directly in front of it.

On the facade of the church are preserved frescoes by an unknown artist depicting the Mother of God and the Golgotha in an interior decorated in neoclassical style with Baroque elegance. The church has one nave with three marble altars from the 18th century.

The Church of the Annunciation dates back to the beginning of the 16th century. A 17th century fresco depicting a scene of the Annunciation is notable above the church gate, and on either side of the portal are 16th century figures of stone lions. The interior decoration is of interest with the painting "Martyrdom of St. Lawrence" by an unknown artist and the painting "Annunciation" attributed to Simon of Florence.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception was built in the 18th century on the ruins of an older church dedicated to St. Peter. The interior of the church features a marble altar, an 18th century sculpture of the Immaculate Conception and two paintings from the same period depicting St. Vlasius and St. Peter.