The only luxury hotel located on Via Muro, made famous by films such as The Passion of the Christ and No Time to Die, Palazzo del Duca in Matera is a boutique hotel offering views of rare beauty, a panoramic restaurant, and cave suites with a pool straight out of One Thousand and One Nights.

Palazzo Del Duca was born from the dream of Matera natives Rossana Gaudiano and Francesco D’Alema to revive an ancient, abandoned noble palace that belonged to the Malvini Melvezzi family, barons and marquises of Pietranico, Malanotte, Turaglio, and Pennadoro.

A magical place, a testament to the economic splendor that Matera experienced in the 17th century, which Rossana and Francesco began restoring in 2015, opening the first rooms in 2017. This enhancement of one of Matera’s most fascinating areas, located right along the slopes of the Civita Materana, which intersects Via Muro with Via San Giacomo, continues with the imminent opening of new suites in the nearby stables of Palazzo Noha (which also includes the adjacent FAI Foundation museum, aptly named Casa Noha).

Of the cities I’ve visited, Matera is the one that smiles the most, the one I see best, through a veil of poetry and melancholy.

(Giovanni Pascoli)

A model of widespread hospitality, typical of Matera, where the accommodations respectfully adapt to its thousand-year-old tuff stones, the hotel now boasts 20 splendid rooms, a restaurant with a view, a café, a conference room, and a spa soon to open.

Palazzo Del Duca offers a true immersion in the beauty of Matera, thanks in part to the allure of the materials used for the restoration. Careful historical research was carried out to respect and preserve tradition: cocciopesto, lime, stone, tuff, and the natural pigments decorating the walls and facades.

The work is completed by fine furnishings, mostly handcrafted or period, such as the beautiful headboards made by upholsterers with a background in Matera’s upholstered furniture. Many other structural elements were entrusted to the skilled hands of local tufa workers.

The incredible jewel in the crown of the property are the two suites with private pools, perhaps unique in the world, given the intrinsic value of the ancient cisterns in which they are located and the tuff rock that surrounds them.

Every other room is a marvel: from the one with a whirlpool tub to the one with the typical lights of Terra d’Otranto, a territory that once which included Matera, to the one with an incredible panoramic terrace overlooking the church of San Giovanni in Monterrone.

With one of the most beautiful views of the Sassi and the Gravina, the Palazzo Del Duca Restaurant enchants with cuisine inspired by the times when, millions of years ago, Matera was home to the sea. A memory of water and saltiness guides the cuisine of chef Mario David, who, after working around the world, has returned to his homeland.

Working with local products and those he purchases every morning during his visits to the Matera countryside, the chef’s recipes pay homage to the rural culture of Basilicata: from Matera bread meatballs with tomato sauce to Fried local black olives on fava bean puree, from Orecchiette with creamed turnip greens, anchovy sauce, toasted bread, and burrata to Braised octopus tentacles in a speck and sage wrap on a creamy pea soup.

Waking up with a dip in the private grotto pool and then enjoying lunch overlooking one of the most breathtaking views of Matera is truly a memorable and unique experience.

And there are many other experiences that Palazzo del Duca can organize for its guests: from exploring Matera in an Ape Calessino to cooking classes and tastings of typical products and wines.

The Secret

A staircase in Palazzo Del Duca leading to some of the rooms is decorated with a quote by the poet Giovanni Pascoli about Matera, where he taught Latin and Greek at the Palazzo Lanfranchi High School between 1882 and 1884: “Of the cities I’ve been to, Matera is the one that smiles at me the most, the one I see best, through a veil of poetry and melancholy.”

Restaurant Palazzo Del Duca

Useful Info

Palazzo Del Duca
Via Muro 50
75100 Matera
Tel. +39 0835 330600

Room: from €135 with breakfast

Starters: from €12
First courses: from €18
Second courses: from €22