Museum of Contemporary Sculpture Musma

The MUSMA is the most important Italian museum entirely dedicated to sculpture. It houses a rich collection of Italian and foreign sculptures from the 1800's to this day. Located in Palazzo Pomarici, a 2-storey sixteenth century building in the old town, this museum is unique for its evocative cave setting. The works are housed not only in the built first floor, but also in the wide spaces of the ground floor, which are completely dug into the rock. The total exhibition area covers about 2,000 square metres. Cesare Pomarici (a rich notary coming from Anzi, in the province of Potenza) bought the caves in 1703 from a community of friars to add them to the upper floor where the noble family, had been living since 1697. They used some of the caves for storing grain and producing wine, while others were used as stalls and coalholes. ?The building was renamed by the people "The Palace of a Hundred Rooms" owing to the big number of rooms in both floors. At the beginning of the 19th century the Palazzo was abandoned by Cesare Pomarici's descendants due to their hereditary divisions. Later, it was rented out to common families and finally (1952) dispossessed according to the special State Act for the redevelopment of the Sassi. After being abandoned for more than thirty years, it was restored thanks to the Fondazione Zétema of Matera. Palazzo Pomarici has housed important works of art in its evocative setting since the MUSMA was inaugurated on 14th October 2006. The ground floor outfitting highlights the interaction between the sculptures and the location, between the spaces excavated into the tufa and the selected series of works by national and international artists. On the upper floor the collection of the museum is set up in 10 rooms and develops an historical and chronological itinerary of the national and international sculpture from the end of the 19th century to the latest avant-gardes. MUSMA (Museo della Scultura Contemporanea.Matera) Via San Giacomo (Sasso Caveoso) 75100 Matera Cell. + 39 3669357768 (10.00 - 14.00 / 16.00 - 20.00, dal martedì alla domenica) Tel. + 39 0835 330582 (9.30 – 14.00, dal lunedì al sabato)