Stay in This Extraordinary Cave Hotel in Southern Italy

An ancient, limestone grotto in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Matera has been transformed into a chic boutique hotel.

Text by

Michele Koh Morollo

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The city of Matera in Southern Italy is known as la Città Sotterranea, or the Subterranean City, and for good reason—inhabited since the 10th millennium B.C., its historical center is made up of a series of limestone caves. This area, known as Sassi, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

With the goal of creating a dialogue with the context and history of these caves, architects Marina and Alfredo of local firm Manca Studio redesigned and refreshed the interiors of a subterranean house and transformed it into a sleek, four-room hotel and spa named La Dimora di Matell0.

The Sassi of the Southern Italian UNESCO World Heritage City of Matera are ancient cave dwellings dug out of the region’s limestone rock. These dwellings been used by humans from as far back as 7000 B.C.

The limestone rock is known locally as "tufo," or volcanic tuff.

In some parts of the ancient city, the streets run above the subterranean cave homes.

In Sasso Barisano, one of the two Sassi districts in Matera, just off a historic street called Via Fiorenti, is La Dimora di Matello, which translates to "The house of Metellus." The cave house has been transformed into an atmospheric, four-room hotel and spa that beautifully melds modern design with history and nature.

"All spaces, both internal and external, were restored and designed to accommodate all the new features of the hotel with harmony and comfort," says Marina.

Manca Studio hired skilled workers with experience in historical restoration to recover the cave dwellings and repurpose the chambers into comfortable, elegant public areas and four intimate, romantic suites.

The single-level hotel and spa is spread across 3,229 square feet, and includes a
reception hall, a spa, and four bedrooms that all have access to an outdoor terrace.

Light oak wood furniture, Cor-Ten steel details, and neutral textiles bring modernity and warmth into the cloistered interiors.

"We believe that for a hotel such as this, in such an important historical site, the biggest challenge was to be able to intimately link the space to the traditional and cultural values of the place, to provide guests with a unique and unforgettable experience that will inspire them to learn more about the city of Matera," says Alfredo.

All four guest rooms look like natural grottos with ceilings as high as 15 feet.

The spaces are engulfed in tuff and sections of plastered perimeter walls.

The plaster was added to sections where the masonry was compromised.

The hotel was conceived as a box that contains layers of the past and expresses the roots of its unique heritage site.

Minimal furnishing conveys an aesthetic that is neutral and linear.

Studio Manca's minimalistic approach highlights the curves and textures of the cave walls and ceilings.

The result of Manca Studio’s precise and careful restoration is a space that balances lightness and modernity with the gravitas of ancient history.

Floor plan drawing

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Project Credits:

Interior and cabinetry design: Manca Studio

Builder: Giovelo s.r.l.

Structural engineering: Paolo Manicone

Lighting design: Enzo Paolicelli

Cabinet installation: Opera Prima s.r.l

Furniture: Abitare Canario s.r.l.

Glass: VETRO & VETRO Santoie

Photography: Pierangelo Laterza

Published

July 31, 2018

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