Palazzo Lanfranchi: A Baroque Masterpiece and Cultural Hub

Palazzo Lanfranchi, overlooking Piazza Pascoli, is considered one of Matera's most significant Baroque buildings. Constructed between 1668 and 1672 by Capuchin friar Francesco da Copertino at the request of Archbishop Vincenzo Lanfranchi, it initially served as a diocesan seminary. The palace was built incorporating a pre-existing Carmelite convent. The building's asymmetrical facade is divided into two horizontal sections by a cornice. The lower section features five niches containing statues of San Nicola, the Madonna del Carmine, San Filippo Neri, San Giacinto, and San Bartolomeo. The upper section includes vertical pilasters with capitals and nine blind arches, the largest of which incorporates a rose window. A pediment with a clock sits atop the facade. Inside, a staircase leads to a long corridor and a 17th-century cloister adorned with a sundial and busts. After the Unification of Italy in 1864, the palace became home to the Classical Lyceum, where the poet Giovanni Pascoli taught. Since 2003, it has housed the National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of Basilicata. The museum's collection is divided into three sections: Sacred Art, Collections, and Contemporary Art. The Sacred Art section features paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from regional churches. The Collections section displays paintings from the Camillo d'Errico collection. The Contemporary Art section includes works by Carlo Levi and Luigi Guerricchio.