Palazzo Gattini, a hotel on the highest point of the stones, a liberated square (and a ghost): history of the first five stars of Matera

« Someone says I had a vision, I say that I made a madness. » Or maybe he simply had the long eye and patience of those who know how to wait. It was 2002 when Nicola BenedettoLucanian entrepreneur, he thought of opening A five -star hotel on the Sassi di Matera.

And in 2002 the city had not yet changed life: i Stonesabandoned by mass in the 1950s for the « remediation » wanted by De Gasperi and then recognized as a world heritage of UNESCO in the nineties, came out of decades of degradation and they just began to raise their heads, thanks also to millions of public funding.

Mel Gibson He would arrive two years later – in 2004 – to shoot his Passion of Christbut the turning point that marks the change of economic step for Matera is In 2014 with the appointment as European capital of culture for 2019. At that point the city attracts – in addition to another 50 million public funds only for the event itself – attention, investments and international interest also (2020 is the year of 007 no time to die With Daniel Craig which runs away by motorbike passing through a procession in Piazza Duomo).

Tourism grew, now on Matera also focuses Alpitour which, with its VreTreats brand dedicated to luxury hotels, takes over That hotel – Palazzo Gattini – imagined on the stones since 2002.

There were other years, then: there were no locals, B&B, plants with attention to the corners and alleys with colored vases. « The city did not agree »recalls Benedetto by telling his arrival On the highest point of the stonesright next to the cathedral. « Piazza Duomo was a disordered parkingI struggled to convince the Materans who had to be freed, « he says. Then it took years of work. The palace is a 1500 building belonging to the Gattini family, noble family Present in Matera by Mille, and the renovation was also complicated for the conformation of the place where it is located, on top of the center: to bring the lift piston, for example, we had to organize with a helicopter. After six years, in 2008 The first five stars of Matera It was inaugurated. «I thought I would never have finished the work – says the entrepreneur – then that I would never have anything about it, instead … they say that we at Pisticci (town 45 kilometers from Matera, editor’s note) We have a hard head: since 2015, with the Matera exploit after the appointment in Città della Cultura, I began to earn ».

And politics. In 2010 he was elected regional councilor in Basilicata with theItaly of values And in 2013 it is regional councilor to agricultural policies, passes to Democratic center and is re -elected to the regional council. Also elected in common in Bernalda, in 2016 is still regional councilorthis time to infrastructure, public works and mobility. In 2019 he moved to the center -right And he is a candidate with Vito Bardi, in 2024 he runs to the European Championships with Fdi.

But now, « like all first generation entrepreneurs, I have a spare problem – he says – I sacrificed my personal life To build what I have and This has meant so much for my son that he does not want to follow medoesn’t care.  » Hence the idea of ​​giving Palazzo Gattini under management, « also because Matera, after the years of success, needs to consolidate it and serves professionalism of the reception ».

So here’s how it comes Alpitour at Palazzo Gattini, 20 rooms including one Suite with terrace and private swimming poolspa, restaurant and oneformer private chapel to host private events. And maybe even a ghost in a room, for those who want to believe it: to scare a waitress (but Benedetto swears that when in 2010 he hosted the Dalai Lamaa monk asked to be a moment alone in that room) would have been the spirit of Count Francesco Gattini, taken from the palace and killed in 1860 at the end of a popular motorcycle asking for lands to cultivate.

From March 2025 the management of Palazzo Gattini is of Vretreatsbrand of youhotels Which, alongside the structures of Cervinia, Venice, Florence and Rome, sought historic cities of the South where to bring Italian but above all foreign tourists (90% of customers). And after the openings of Taormina, Ortigia and Olbiathe attention has arrived on Matera: «There are cities full of history and charm outside the important tourist flows – he explains Paolo Terrinoni, CEO Voihotels – We want to be an access key to discover Italy in all its nuances and also open a way to get out of the narrow alley of seasonality ». That is, of theOverurismthat anyone now likes to now, let alone those looking for an exclusive experience.

Of course, it is not enough to tell the beauty and offer it, « we must also make that territory usable », Raying Terrinoni, who can count on the axis with Neos, the Alpitour airline. Already last year Neos brought foreign tourists directly to Sicily and « the extraordinary success of flights from New York for us means that there is a question for these destinations »: « From summer 2024 Sicily has had thanks to us 2 frequencies with New York – he recalls Carlo Stradiotti, CEO Neos – In the summer of 2025 he will have 12 frequencies, Delta and United Airlines were added.  » To demonstrate the interest. So the next step: the novelty at Neos is a nFlight egg from New York JFK to Bari-Palese From June 3 to October 15, with a 355-seater Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. To visit Puglia but also Matera, less than an hour of cars.