Matera, ItalySassi di Matera
Sant Angelo
Restored cave settlement
Sassi di Matera Matera, Italy
Renovated
2010
Price
$$$
Rated for
Heritage Local DesignOutside the door
Restored cave settlement
The hotel spreads across historic troglodyte caves and a stone palazzo, turning village stairways and courtyards into open-air corridors.
“Forget about night spent in dark, creepy corners—you’ll be greeted here by opulent canopy beds, cozy candlelight, and oversize bathtubs.”
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Centuries-old limestone cave homes and a restored palazzo overlooking the Gravina canyon.
Remarkable
Rooms carved directly into calcarenite rock connect through ancient village stairways and courtyards.
Notable
Rough tufa walls meet hand-polished Laterite floors and furnishings finished with beeswax.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler and AFAR.
The owners of Sant’Angelo have converted an entire neighborhood into a hotel, including a selection of traditional cave houses as well as a palazzo.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Stone paths open directly onto Piazza San Pietro Caveoso, with ancient rock churches and the Gravina canyon just steps away.
1 of 4
The rooms
Carved calcarenite walls shape the cave bedrooms, and select suites tuck deep soaking tubs into former rainwater cisterns.
The spa
At the table
Regiacorte serves contemporary Lucanian cooking inside an arched stone cave, and tables on the terrace face the ancient ravine.
Staying in a cave, it turns out, can be surprisingly pleasant. There was just one small window high overhead, but the room and adjoining bath were in no way dank
How it began
Nicola Ruscigno and Anna Calia began buying abandoned cave dwellings in 1999, converting the hillside hamlet into a hotel in 2005.
Matera
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.