Region

Italy, Basilicata, Matera

Nearest city

Bernalda (300 metres)

Rooms

From 250,00€ to 400,00€ Person / Night

Palazzo Margherita, Italy, Basilicata, Bernalda

Palazzo Margherita is a Luxury Hotel in Italy situated in Bernalda, a small hilltop town near the Ionian Sea in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy. Located in the province of Matera, which is famous for its ancient cave dwellings, historic houses and unspoiled villages, Bernalda is relatively unknown to tourists.

It is just twenty minutes from numerous pristine, white-sand beaches; one can choose between quiet seclusion or beach-club action and shoreside tavernas. While the nearby region of Puglia has become popular for sightseeing, Bernalda is one of a few beautiful towns where the food and wine have remained authentic and untouched by mass tourism. The townspeople welcome visitors with a genuine hospitality that makes every guest feel like a local.

History

Palazzo Margherita, built in 1892 in Bernalda by the Margherita family, is a true 19th century palazzo. The town was the birthplace and home to Agostino Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola's grandfather, who always referred to it affectionately as "Bernalda bella." Francis purchased the Palazzo in 2004 with the desire to transform it into a small, luxurious Italy boutique hotel, believing it was time to introduce visitors to this stunning and still undiscovered region.

The surrounding countryside, which was settled by the Greeks before the Roman era, is part of the Hellenic Magna Graecia—the coastal areas of Southern Italy—where the thriving local agriculture produces sumptuous fruits and vegetables, as well as the Aglianico grapes used to make wines of the same name. Nestled between the ancient cities of Metapontum and Matera, the area is rich with history, including haunting primordial cave dwellings called Sassi di Matera (meaning "stones of Matera"), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Décor

The Palazzo Boutique Hotel in Italy has been completely restored by Francis Coppola and acclaimed French designer Jacques Grange, creating a luxurious, authentically Italian experience that ushers guests into a private world of palatial comfort, surrounded by gardens, courtyard and swimming pool, all just steps from a small, bustling town in which the visitor is a friend and neighbor rather than a tourist.

Francis wanted the Palazzo to become a place that his children would want to visit again and again, and therefore invited the whole family to contribute ideas to the design. It is this very sense of family that distinguishes The Palazzo Margherita as one of the most charming small luxury hotels in Italy. The interior décor of Palazzo Margherita is styled with tiled floors as well as Moroccan and Baroque-inspired hand-painted fresco ceilings. Grange designed some of the exotic tiles and furniture, including one of the most beautiful suites, which is in a Tunisian style to honor Francis Coppola's Tunisian-born grandmother. All of the floors in the Palazzo have been restored from the original marble.

The Suites

Garden Suite One

This suite embodies the elegance of Italian country house style—an airy, traditional room that opens directly onto the courtyard garden and fountain. Situated on the ground floor, it also features a spacious, ensuite sitting room with a floor to ceiling window that heightens the effect of being sequestered in one's own private garden. The large bathroom includes a clawfoot bathtub and separate glass shower among its many details, setting it apart from other luxury hotels in Italy. Queen-sized bed. 550 square feet (50 square meters). This room can accommodate a third person on a rollaway bed.

Garden Two

An elegant and traditional room that opens directly onto the lush private garden and fountain. It features vaulted ceilings, a large closet and a writing desk. A beautifully appointed bathroom is highlighted by a clawfoot bathtub beneath a window that overlooks the garden of our luxury resort in Italy. Queen-sized bed. For those of our newlywed guests, we offer a romantic Palazzo Margherita Honeymoon Suite.

Garden Three

Like our other garden room inside our Italy luxury hotel, this one embodies the simple elegance of Italian country house living with exceptional service and amenties. Grand barn-like doors that open onto the inner courtyard create a setting that is both sophisticated and rustic. A luxurious bathroom includes a clawfoot bathtub and separate glass shower. Queen-sized bed. 370 square feet (35 square meters).

Suite Four (Sofia)

Jacques Grange designed this suite with inspiration from Sofia Coppola; its mood is delicate and feminine, with hand-painted frescos evoking a misty summer garden at dawn. A Juliette balcony off the bedroom overlooks the courtyard of our luxury Italy resort and the palatial bathroom has a steam shower with a clawfoot bathtub. French doors from the bathroom and bedroom lead to a fully-furnished private terrace that offers a magical view of the garden and fountain. King-sized bed. 670 square feet (60 square meters).

Suite Five

Classic Italian décor lends this suite a warm ambiance with a modern touch. A secret back staircase leads to an upstairs loft, whose single bed and sitting room make it an enchanting hideaway for a child, or a perfect private reading room for adults. (It is said that it was the room of the Palazzo's young maid, Palmetta, who had given her heart to the dashing Agostino Coppola.) The room also features a majestic ceiling with a hand-painted restored fresco, and spacious bathroom with a clawfoot bathtub and separate shower. A Juliette balcony faces the main street and town square outside our boutique hotel in Italy, a perfect spot to enjoy coffee or tea. King-sized bed. 670 square feet (60 square meters).

This room can accommodate a fourth person on a rollaway bed.

Suite Six

This majestically proportioned suite pays tribute to Italian décor of the early 20^th century, combining simple elegance with bold ornament. A Juliette balcony opens onto the main street and leafy town square of our Italy luxury resort. The magnificent ceiling, with a restored, hand-painted fresco, and the spacious bathroom with clawfoot bathtub and separate shower add to the room's comfortable formality. King-sized bed. 590 square feet (55 square meters).

This room can accommodate a third person on a rollaway bed.

Suite Seven (Roman)

This Modernist-inspired suite was designed by Jacques Grange with ideas from Roman Coppola. Its Art Deco furniture and lighting, elegant slate bathroom, and restored Arts and Crafts fresco lend an international flair, setting it apart from other Italy luxury resorts. It Includes a fully-furnished shared terrace for dining or relaxing outdoors as well as a Juliette balcony that opens to the beautiful garden and courtyard below. A lavish bathroom includes a separate shower and clawfoot bathtub. King-sized bed. 465 square feet (45 square meters).

Suite Eight (Gia)

This romantic suite was designed as a gift to Gia Coppola, Francis Coppola's first grandchild. It is decorated in a beautiful Rococo design, including a delicate fresco on the ceiling depicting the mythical lovers Cupid and Psyche, symbolizing good fortune and happy harmony.

The suite features a large walk-in closet, king-size bed, and private dining room in which you may enjoy meals delivered directly from our restaurant kitchen. The balcony offers a view of Bernalda's main street and town square, and is a perfect spot from which to enjoy the spectacle of unhurried, small-town life. The spacious bathroom includes a claw foot bathtub and separate shower. The suite can accommodate a third person on a rollaway bed. 780 square feet (70 square meters).

For those of our guests who are newlyweds, we offer a special romantic experience featuring the Gia suite.

Suite Nine (Francis)

Integrating subtle elements of Tunisian design—a historical influence in Southern Italy—this picturesque suite has a fully-furnished shared terrace overlooking the garden and courtyard. The style is intended to honor Francis's Tunisian-born grandmother, Maria Zasa, distinguishing it from other luxury hotels in Italy. A striking tiled fireplace and an anteroom with a large writing desk add to the regal splendor of this suite. A luxurious bathroom includes a clawfoot bathtub and separate shower. Walls and high ceilings feature beautifully restored painting and frescos. 800 square feet (75 square meters).