Before choosing the hotel, ask how many stairs there are going to the room?

At the CORTE SAN PIETRO, Y.T.H.i.M., there are only 10!

So, we’re just as lucky as our guests!

The Sassi districts, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprise the original urban nucleus of the city, which evolved over time from what were originally natural caves located along a deep ravine. These caves were then gradually enlarged as humans dug further into the rock and were modeled into increasingly complex structures. Along an intricate network of narrow streets, alleys, courtyards and neighborhoods, there are houses of all sizes, ancient walls, towers, warehouses, cellars and cisterns. In sum, the Sassi are an endless maze of both excavated and built dwellings.

The rooms are strictly monochromatic, characterized by earth tones ranging from beige stone to brown wood and iron cortèn. Earth, terracotta tiles and the natural color of the rock become walls, ceilings and seats.

The constant search for a link between the interiors and the surrounding landscape has given life to the interplay of local stone, wood and iron that is repeated in every room, in different proportions, following a linear and minimalist design. Rustic style and shabby-chic elements, take on a light and modern air.

From the skillfully hand-crafted wooden doors to the rooms, light filters through transparent linen curtains, softly illuminating the first environment of each room – intended as a living room and relaxation area. The more private spaces towards the back, carved out of the rock, are instead illuminated by small windows placed up high on the vaults, the so-called "wolves’ mouths".

These high windows create directional beams of light, alternating with large intimate and suggestive areas of shadow.

Tuft arcs introduce the bathrooms, intimate and enveloping spaces, characterized by niches and cavities that accommodate large bathtubs and stone showers. The furniture, with the exception of the linens, is made up of old restored furniture and antique recovered objects. Nature and recovered objects find their place in every room, as antique chestnut chests become doors, shelves or tables, structures of old wooden chairs become multi-use containers and sections of old tree trunks become seats or bedside tables.

The entire hotel develops horizontally around slightly gradated courtyards onto which the rooms, the reception area and the breakfast room open, while other rooms open onto Via San Pietro Caveoso, giving guests the unique experience of “living” the ancient Sassi neighborhoods.

There are eight ancient cisterns below the Hotel – underground chambers characterized by their traditional bell shape, evidence of the ancient water “harvesting” system that once existed and an excellent example of sustainable development.

Rainwater was once channeled through gutters, drainpipes and channels into cisterns that could be found in almost every dwelling. The cisterns under the Hotel will soon be visitable through narrow and impervious paths of rare suggestion in which the SPAN Wellness Center (Salus Per Animam) is being created. The center will exemplify what makes Matera unique, offering guests an unforgettable experience. As one passes through the unstable silence of a quarry, gradually adapting to the light of these spaces, it’s as if one is sucked into another dimension, where one has the opportunity to intimately grasp the deepest and most ancestral meaning of these places and of this ancient land. The center will be a space for nourishing the soul and feeling a strong sense of well-being.