Why we love it
The setting
Basiliani Hotel sits in Rione Casalnuovo, part of Matera's UNESCO-listed Sassi district, about 1.1 km from the modern city centre. Rooms are carved into the soft tufa rock, so white-washed cave walls and vaulted ceilings come as standard rather than as a gimmick. Several rooms and the terrace look straight across the Gravina gorge toward the Park of the Rupestrian Churches. You step out of the door and onto the old stone lanes of the Sassi, with no traffic and centuries of cave dwellings stacked up the hillside around you.
What to expect
The stay is two nights in a Superior Double room with breakfast included. Bedrooms keep the bare stone and arched alcoves of the original cave, paired with modern bathrooms and clean, simple furniture. Breakfast is a buffet of regional products served in a vaulted cave room downstairs. The hotel is small and quiet, so evenings on the terrace as the Sassi light up are the main event rather than busy facilities.
Things to do nearby
Everything in the Sassi is walkable from the door. The rock-cut churches and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches sit just across the gorge, and the lanes lead up to the Cathedral, the Casa Grotta cave-house museums and the Palombaro Lungo underground cistern. The newer town centre, with its shops and restaurants, is roughly 1.1 km uphill. Bari and its airport are about an hour away by car, and the hotel can arrange a shuttle.
Best for
Couples and travellers who want a genuine cave stay in the Sassi rather than a standard hotel room. Best for two nights of slow sightseeing on foot, photography at dawn and dusk, and quiet evenings with a view over the gorge.
Choose your room
✓ Your selection
Superior Double room
Cave room carved into Matera's tufa rock, with a modern bathroom, for two.
View room →Property, in pictures
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A week, loosely planned
Suggestions, not orders. Tour ideas to mix and match for your trip.
Into the Sassi
Arrive and settle into your cave room, then walk straight out into the Sassi. Spend the afternoon following the stone lanes down through Sasso Caveoso, stopping at a Casa Grotta to see how the caves were lived in. Watch the sunset from the hotel terrace as the old town lights come on.
Rock churches and Cathedral
Cross toward the Park of the Rupestrian Churches and the rock-cut churches above the gorge, then climb up to the Cathedral and the Palombaro Lungo cistern. Break for a long lunch of Lucanian dishes, and finish with a slow wander through Sasso Barisano before a last evening on the terrace.
Where you'll be
Matera, Italy
FAQ
Is Basiliani Hotel close to the Sassi di Matera?
Yes. Basiliani Hotel is in Rione Casalnuovo, within Matera's UNESCO-listed Sassi district, so the cave churches, lanes and gorge viewpoints are all reachable on foot from the door.
What is the best area to stay in Matera?
First time in Matera? Sleeping inside the Sassi itself is the trip you'll remember, and this hotel lands you right in it. The newer town centre, about 1.1 km away, is handier for shops and parking but loses the cave-dwelling atmosphere.
What room does this deal cover at Basiliani Hotel?
The two-night deal covers a Superior Double room, carved into the tufa rock with a modern bathroom, suited to two adults.
Does Basiliani Hotel include breakfast?
Yes. A buffet breakfast made with regional products is included and served each morning in a vaulted cave room inside the hotel.
How far is Basiliani Hotel from the airport?
The nearest large airport is Bari, roughly an hour away by car. The hotel can arrange a shuttle, and trains and buses also connect Matera with Bari.
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