Good news for residents of Matera. Piazza San Francesco d’Assisi will reopen to the public in time for the celebrations of the Madonna della Bruna, patron saint of the city of Sassi. An inauguration ceremony is scheduled for today at 8 p.m. and will be accompanied by the notes of the school choir “I vasi d’arte”.
The announcement
The mayor Domenico Bennardi gave the news of the imminent reopening of Piazza San Francesco d’Assisi, underlining how the reopening will allow the traditional morning mass to take place on 2 July, the feast day of Maria Santissima della Bruna. «It wasn’t easy but – added the mayor – We did it thanks to the seriousness of the executing company and the excellent monitoring and control work carried out by the municipal offices. After the feast of Maria Santissima della Bruna the final finishing touches will be carried out and then Piazza San Francesco d’Assisi will be completely usable with a renewed look, more accessible to people with disabilities thanks to the three access ramps, and safer for all pedestrians thanks to the lowering of the steps and the general plan of the square”.
The intervention
The works in Piazza San Francesco involved various points of the area. The workers have installed a protective sheath that will prevent rainwater from infiltrating the hypogea. Then they placed the new slabs that make up the flooring. The square has taken on a much more pleasant appearance also thanks to the slightly darker color of the floor, in order to avoid the annoying reflection of light on summer days. Furthermore, the rises on the perimeter staircases have been reduced, now easier than in the past. Pay attention to accessibility: disabled people can now get directly to the churchyard using two ramps in via San Francesco and one on the side of the former Bank of Italy, which runs alongside the courtyard of the rectory. In via San Francesco the previous ramp was eliminated because it was too steep and narrow.
