Sassi in Miniatura (Sassi in Miniature), Matera

Sassi in Miniatura is a workshop and museum of miniature limestone models of old Matera. The workshop/museum is located on Fiorentini Street in the Sasso Barisano district. It is near the Matera Cathedral, the Tramontano Castle, and the Ridola Museum.

Starting in 1996, artist Eustachio Rizzi worked for three years creating the Sassi in Miniatura, a handmade scale model of Matera carved in tuff stone. The model covers 129 square feet and weighs about 3,500 pounds. The museum/workshop also displays and has on sale tuff stone objects and souvenirs.

Here are the streets, stairs, farmhouses, neighborhoods, balconies, and a miniature village with lighted churches, homes, and caves once the domiciles of people and animals. All are exact, done with Rizzi's optimistic skill. The corners of the Caveoso and Barisano districts, the alleys, and the mule paths unite the present with the past.