RESIDENZA GIÀ ANTICO FORNO Matera Italy Hotel Review

Like cave-cozy Solosud and luxurious Palazzo Viceconte, the more basic budget option of Residenza GiàAntico Forno gives the history buff traveler much to chew on.

When you visit Matera’s Peasant Museum (Museo-Laboratorio della Civiltà Contadina ), or one of the cave museums built into an ancient grotto home, or look at the inexpensive tourista trinkets offered by little shops along the Sassi roads, you will inevitably see the bread stamp, now a popular Matera tourist memento. Each family had one and used it to stamp their bread before they brought it to the communal oven, a family nametag of sorts. The “…Forno..” is part of this hotel’s name because back in the day this building was where the community’s ancient oven (forno) was located.

Residenza GiàAntico Forno was once a communal oven

Then in its communal oven days, as now, it was a central location. You are just steps from the piazza where you will see evening performances by musicians, circus acts and more. Even closer is a music conservatory, where you can plant to drink a coffee and listen to students rehearsing. In fact, if you are hoping to stay at Residenza GiàAntico Forno in the fall, you might want to research the dates of the music festival held at this conservatory, as Festival attendees usually book this hotel for its location alone.

The tip from this photographer/writer team is to ask for the top floor room. From here you have a private entrance to a rooftop balcony with lovely views. It’s hard to imagine why anyone able to book this top floor room in the summer months would want to venture out to a restaurant. This is a palace in waiting for the self-catering budget tourist—grab it!

For more information and reservations visit the Residenza GiàAntico Forno website