The Place
In Matera, a city of caves – sassi – and a Unesco world heritage site, where the inhabitants lived as troglodytes for centuries (the last were evicted as recently as the 1960s), it is appropriate to stay at this unique bed-and-breakfast. Many of the bedrooms are hewn out of the tufa, their floors, walls and ceilings all gently undulating. In a peaceful pedestrian-only part of the ancient city, it occupies a labyrinthine 18thC building, with spectacular views over the Sasso Barisano to the Romanesque cathedral from its terraces and balconies.