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.

“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.

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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