Ai Maestri Rooms & Cafe: Guesthouse in Matera

Ai Maestri Rooms & Cafe is a guesthouse designed to revive the southern Italy city of Matera's ancient history and craftsmanship.

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Comfort and craftsmanship

Carved into the bedrock of the ancient Italian city of Matera, Ai Maestri Rooms & Café is a place that combines charm, hospitality, and genuine know-how.

Open since 2019 and designed by the Manca Studio architecture and design firm, this cavernous guesthouse is characterized by a series of rooms built out of volcanic rock and other stones that were excavated on site. The basis of the project comes from an original idea, which stems from the desire to reveal and express the region’s local artisanal craftsmanship. Ai Maestri’s furniture has been made to measure by skilled craftsmen, the same called on by the entire town for generations. The use of basic materials such as stone, wood, steel and glass, creates a clean balance between ancient and contemporary in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Chairs and stools by Billiani from northern Italy were chosen to furnish each space, with a beechwood version and black braided rope designed by Emilio Nanni. Here, everything is hand-made by skilled craftsmen and each room is filled with objects and furniture that gives you the impression you’ve been teleported into the past.

The house offers 4 rooms, mismatched and minimalist, all carefully decorated with attention to detail. The hangers made of black electric wire attached to wooden clips are reminiscent of the wires and pins used to hang laundry as commonly seen in Italy. In the bathroom, old amphorae used to carry water have been turned into sinks.

In addition to the rooms, Ai Maestri features a café offering local products that can be enjoyed from breakfast to evening drinks, so you can discover the region’s cuisine and local wines.

Simplicity, timelessness, luxury and craftsmanship are the exact words to describe this Italian find.