Matera: Sleeping in the Ancient Stones of Italy’s Oldest City
December 1, 2025
By Rachel Kapur
By Rachel Kapur
What followed was one of the most remarkable urban revivals in Europe. Beginning in the late 20th century and accelerating after Matera was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, the caves were carefully restored and reimagined. Today they house boutique hotels, restaurants, galleries, and cultural spaces while preserving the city’s extraordinary past.
To truly understand Matera, you have to stay inside the Sassi themselves. We checked into Hotel Sassi, a hotel beautifully integrated into the historic cave architecture. Built directly into the hillside, the property preserves the authenticity of the ancient dwellings while offering the comforts travelers expect today. Reaching the hotel is an adventure in itself. The Sassi are made up of endless stone staircases, narrow paths, and uneven walkways carved into the hillside. It’s part of what makes the city so magical—but it also means comfortable shoes with good grip are essential. The limestone steps can be steep and polished smooth from centuries of use. Our room felt like a portal to the past—arched stone ceilings, cool limestone walls, and soft lighting that highlighted the natural texture of the cave. Yet the space was warm and welcoming, blending history with thoughtful modern design. |
There are cities you visit—and then there are cities that feel like stepping into another era entirely. Matera is firmly the latter.
Perched dramatically above a rugged canyon in southern Italy, Matera appears as though it has been carved directly from the earth itself. Thousands of honey-colored stone dwellings cascade down the hillside in layers, forming a labyrinth of arches, terraces, staircases, and winding alleyways. At sunrise the limestone glows pale gold; at night, flickering lights transform the city into a glowing constellation along the cliffside. It’s a place so ancient, so atmospheric, that it often feels suspended somewhere between history and myth. The story of Matera stretches back more than 9,000 years, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world. Its famous cave districts, known as the Sassi di Matera, were first carved into the soft limestone during prehistoric times. For centuries, families lived within these caves—expanding them room by room, carving cisterns to collect rainwater, and building churches directly into the rock. Entire communities developed within this network of stone homes connected by staircases, courtyards, and narrow passageways. But by the mid-20th century, living conditions had become extremely difficult. Many families shared their cave homes with livestock, and basic sanitation was limited. In the 1950s, the Italian government relocated thousands of residents to modern housing, leaving the Sassi largely abandoned. 
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Morning at the hotel was unforgettable. Breakfast overlooked the dramatic ravine of the Gravina di Matera, where the rising sun slowly illuminated the city’s layered skyline of stone homes and bell towers. With cappuccino in hand and the quiet hum of the waking city below, it felt like witnessing centuries unfold in real time. With cappuccino in hand and the quiet hum of the waking city below, it felt like witnessing centuries unfold in real time.
Matera rewards slow exploration. The city is essentially a maze—one where staircases double as streets and rooftops often serve as pathways to the homes above them.
Around every corner you’ll find hidden courtyards, rock-carved churches, and terraces overlooking the canyon. Many of the cave churches date back nearly a thousand years and still contain delicate frescoes painted directly onto the stone walls.
As evening approaches, golden light washes across the limestone buildings before nightfall transforms the Sassi into a shimmering hillside of lantern-like homes. From across the valley, the city looks almost unreal—like a glowing nativity scene etched into the rock.
Matera’s transformation from abandoned cave settlement to thriving cultural destination is nothing short of extraordinary. Named a European Capital of Culture in 2019, the city now attracts travelers, artists, and filmmakers from around the world.
Yet despite its global recognition, Matera still feels deeply authentic.
Staying at places like Hotel Sassi allows visitors to experience the city not just as tourists, but as temporary residents within its ancient stone walls.
Because in Matera, the past isn’t preserved behind glass.
It surrounds you, rises beneath your feet in worn stone steps, and welcomes you each night beneath ceilings carved thousands of years ago.