Tucked into a series of interconnected cave rooms in the Sasso Caveoso, MUSMA (Museo della Scultura Contemporanea Matera) is one of the more unusual museum settings in Italy. The sculpture collection — works by artists including Arturo Martini, Umberto Mastroianni, and Mauro Staccioli — is displayed in rock-cut chambers that range from intimate niches to hall-sized caverns.
The juxtaposition of 20th-century sculpture against roughly hewn tufa walls is more effective than it sounds. Some of the works have been made specifically for the cave spaces. The collection also includes ceramic pieces and works on paper that trace the influence of the Matera landscape on Italian artists from the 1960s onward. Closed on Mondays; booking advisable in summer.