Restoring and giving new life to a palace in the Sassi of Matera (UNESCO Heritage) implies a great responsibility for an architect. Working with history, looking for the “ars aedificandi”, the thought and action generating the building, searching for the respect of the built and natural surroundings, you look at the building both from outside and inside, from what it consists in looking at it and what is going to become.

In the action of becoming, it has to represent the new owner family, its will and aspirations.
The palace, now housing the “Santa Caesarea Residence” is located in a dominant position on the Sasso Barisano, enjoying stunning views of the quite near monuments built on the Murgia Matera.
The building hosts the owner family at the main floor, who opened the second level the Residence, almost as if they wanted to give their guests the privilege of enjoying, through the beautiful “paintings-windows” the wonderful views over the historic Sassi.
The family life and the guests’ one follow parallel trends, never overlapping, as they respect one another.
The picturesque and welcoming environment that the guest finds tells about the time sequences of the building life by understanding its materials: the terracotta vaults, decorations tuff and artisans artistic touch in the hand-forged iron.
The softly shaped stairs invite you to go upstairs, almost anticipating the surprises the guest can find in every room. It makes you want to go upstairs with an almost reflexive slowness.
To allow even people not completely physically able to enjoy it, there is a handy lift through all levels.
Once you reach the floor for guests, you are going to discover, almost in stark time contrast, the contemporary functional environments and furnishings, always accompanied by elements not forgetting their origins: inserts of antique decorated floors, antique wooden doors, and stained glass windows of the master Materano Peppino Mitarotonda.
The rooms, all equipped with bright bathrooms, are tastefully decorated, furnished with simple lines, in order not to disturb the view that the “painting-windows” offer on wild beauty of the Murgia and the extraordinary shapes of Sassi built with wisdom of master masons.
Your stay is going to be a comfortable and cultured experience.

P.S.: I recommend to those who want to stay there to ask the kind owners to show you the splendid rooms of the manor house. Thus, you are going to enjoy the welcoming attitude of the people of Matera European, Capital of Culture 2019.”

Arch. Mattia Antonio Acito