Moyseion: A Lived-In Museum Hotel Opens in Matera's Sassi
In the Sassi district of Matera, the Moyseion hotel-museum innovatively transforms the concept of hospitality by welcoming guests as 'temporary inhabitants' within environments that showcase life from the 4th millennium BCE to Magna Graecia. Spanning over 1,000 square meters, the venue features 16 reconstructed dwellings crafted through experimental archaeology, complete with replicas of ancient ceramics and symbols. Initiated by Antonio Panetta, this project aims to enhance the tourist experience in Matera, where museum attendance has been low. Offerings include live performances on ancient instruments and symposium-style dinners featuring pre-Magna Graecia cuisine. The staff consists of young archaeologists and classicists, and accommodations range from Neolithic to Enotrian and Magno-Greek styles, alongside amenities like a heated pool and whirlpool baths, supporting Matera's 2019 European Capital of Culture legacy.
Key facts
- Moyseion is a new hotel-museum in Matera's Sassi district.
- It occupies over 1,000 square meters of caves with 16 reconstructed dwellings.
- The project was conceived by entrepreneur Antonio Panetta.
- Guests are considered 'temporary inhabitants' of spaces evoking civilizations from the 4th millennium BCE to Magna Graecia.
- Accommodations are divided into Neolithic, Enotrian, and Magno-Greek types.
- Live concerts feature ancient instruments, including an aulos studied by a Cambridge team.
- Staff include archaeologists, classicists, and philologists.
- The Santuario delle acque pool complex is modeled on Hellenistic baths at Monasterace Marina and Policoro.
Entities
Artists
- Filippo Riniolo
- Giuseppe Stampone
- Alfredo Pirri
- Dario Carmentano
Institutions
- Moyseion
- Museo Archeologico Nazionale Domenico Ridola
- Matera Alberga
- Artribune
- Cambridge University
Locations
- Matera
- Sassi di Matera
- Basilicata
- Porto Badisco
- Palma Campania
- Serra d'Alto
- Monasterace Marina
- Policoro
- Kaulonía
- Herakleia
- Italy