Not your usual Hotel! | UlrichK's Food & Travel Blogs

Not your usual Hotel! Nicht dein übliches Hotel!

by Ulrich Koepf on August 9, 2020 with No Comments

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If you are searching for an unusual, special hidden gem to spend some quality time in Italy, and at the same time enjoying Abruzzi traditional Cuisine, look no further!

Matera in the Basilica region of southern Italy is famous for its livable caves. That includes also the 18 rooms and suites of the popular Hotel Sextantio – situated in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy, just north of Matera, a very impressive, different way and style to stay in a hotel, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site,

Santo Stefano di Sessanio is a fortified medieval village. It is located in the mountains of Abruzzo at 1250 meters above sea level, inside the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga national park. The village is a classic example of an Italian medieval hill town, with perimeter walls encircling houses and squares. During the last century, the “modernization” of rural Italy compromised the architectural heritage of many of its countryside villages and towns.

But Santo Stefano, like many more remote Mediterranean mountain villages, was deserted when its impoverished inhabitants left in search of work. Paradoxically, the abandonment saved the town from architectural abuse.

The project to conserve and revive Santo Stefano as an “albergo diffuso” involved a detailed plan to preserve the integrity of the village and its surrounding landscape. Working alongside local organizations such as the town mayor and the national park, we proposed special laws to prohibit any new construction. Our aim was to bring the village back to life and to welcome tourists, but without sacrificing Santo Stefano’s identity.

To retain Santo Stefano’s local character all modern technology is hidden. They searched out original architectural materials, and the furniture and textiles are authentic items from the Abruzzo mountains.

They have preserved traces of bygone countryside life in the fabric of the buildings – symbols of hardship that evoke the spirit of ancient rural life.

The interior design of the rooms is inspired by pictures that Paul Scheuermeier, a Swiss linguist, took in Abruzzo in the 20s of the twentieth century.

To preserve the unity of the interior aesthetic-affective and avoid the over-use of contemporary elements, they used native objects, often stored in museums, and ancient and traditional local materials.