Located in Rione Vetera, Vetera Matera is the only five-star luxury hotel affiliated with Relais & Châteaux in the heart of the Lucanian city, an incredible retreat combining nature, ingenuity, and history, overlooking the most evocative views of the famous “Sassi.”

Matera is the oldest city in Europe, with 8,000 years of history forged around its tuff caves in an incredibly intact urban landscape that never ceases to enchant. In this marvel of nature and human ingenuity, the 5-star Vetera Matera was born in 2025, an incredible widespread hotel that literally exists within the famous Sassi (tuff caves).

Given the unique nature of the caves upon which it is built, Vetera Matera became reality after an eight-year restoration thanks to an astonishing feat of engineering, where every architectural solution, every piece of furniture, every stylistic accessory stems from respect for the depths of the earth and the history of Matera.

It seduces you. It hypnotizes you. It overwhelms you. It is Matera.

A collection of structures dating from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, including underground spaces and buildings with original facades, high vaulted ceilings, terracotta floors, and tiled roofs connected by small courtyards and stairways, where every corner offers a truly exceptional detail or view.

Vetera Matera was born from the synergy between the Bellevue Group of the Russo Attanasio family, hoteliers for five generations, and the owner of the various properties on which the hotel is located, a visionary and well-known professional in the Matera community, determined to enhance the historic center with a high-profile restoration.

The hotel offers 23 rooms, including 8 suites—from underground rooms carved into the rock to those overlooking the magical Sassi—a spa and wellness center, a fine-dining restaurant, a bistro, a wine & cocktail bar on the panoramic terrace, and a “secret” cellar.

The hotel’s crowning glory is the ARTEMA restaurant, which welcomes guests into the stunning internal courtyard and the large underground hall. Here, chef Eduardo Estatico interprets the iconic dishes of Lucanian tradition with a creative touch and a Neapolitan soul, emphasizing the use of seasonal and local ingredients.

Much more than a wine cellar, the Vetera Matera cellar is a true coup de théâtre. The long staircase allows you to delve into the heart of the Sassi to choose a bottle to savor at the table, but not only that. Inside the cave, you can also book wine tasting tours, paired with dishes that highlight the depth and breadth of the wines and their terroirs.

The Elysium Spa is also beautiful, with a calidarium with hydromassage and a frigidarium integrated into the rock. There are also emotional showers, a sauna, a relaxation area, a changing room, and three massage rooms, including one designed for couples and one dedicated to Zerobody treatments, the patented system that allows you to experience weightlessness by floating on 400 liters of hot water, with an exceptionally regenerating effect.

All levels of the hotel are connected by convenient elevators, one of its true luxuries in a city of a thousand horizons and steps. It also enjoys a central location, just minutes from Piazza Duomo, which connects the ancient and modern parts of Matera, and from the splendid promenade that leads from the Sasso Barisano, where the Vetera Matera is located, to the Sasso Caveoso.

The Vetera Matera is a structure whose uniqueness and beauty make it a must-see in your list of top 10 things to do at least once in your life.

The Secret

Many directors have been captivated by the beauty of Matera over time and have shot iconic films here, from Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” to “No Time to Die” starring Daniel Craig as 007.

Useful Info

Vetera Matera
Rione Vetera 28
75100 Matera
Tel. +39 0835 1670514
info@veteramatera.com

Rooms: from €250 with breakfast