Masseria Fontana di Vite

Italian farmhouse hotels come in a variety of styles, from the classic pastel Tuscan variety to something like the Masseria Fontana di Vite, its sun-bleached stone exteriors exhibiting an almost Moorish profile against the rough landscape of Basilicata. It’s set in the hills outside Matera, the famous cave city, and its name, which translates as something like “Fountain of Life,” refers to a legendary nearby spring — precious indeed in these dry latitudes.

The original building dates back to the 18th century, with expansions in the very early 20th, but it’s only after a 2014 renovation that Fontana di Vite became the luxury boutique hotel you see here today. In classic Italian style its interiors mix modern and antique elements with no regard for consistency; ultra-modern bathrooms are attached to bedrooms that lie beneath weathered stone vaults. Some are set in the original farmhouse, others in outlying village houses.

And the hotel’s restaurant, beneath its own vaulted ceilings, is a thoroughly contemporary affair. Here at the border of Basilicata and Puglia it’s got a wealth of Southern Italian culinary tradition to draw from, and the spirit is one of abundance — which goes not just for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but for aperitivi and local Southern wines as well.