Palazzo Margherita
Exclusive Italian Allure Travel Package – Explore the rugged beauty and pristine nature of Basilicata over 5 days with our “Partner Exclusive Palazzo Margherita Package”
Palazzo Margherita is located in Bernalda, a small hilltop town in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy. The province is Matera, famous for its ancient cave dwellings, dramatic landscapes, and historic houses. Basilicata is one of a few remaining parts of Italy where the culture, food, and wine remain authentic and untouched.
Refined Palazzo Margherita
We have built a very unique 5 day experience for our clients that will take you on a rare nature discovery staying at one of the most discreetly elegant luxury Palazzo’s in Southern Italy.
DAY 1. YOUR ARRIVAL AT PALAZZO MARGHERITA
- Enjoy a welcome drink on us upon arrival at Palazzo Margherita
- Take part in a cooking class that offers guests the experience of preparing traditional pasta under the guidance of the hotel’s cook, Mariella. Learn the techniques of making three types of pasta shapes and making a pasta sauce, followed by the enjoyment of tasting your own work (class lasts approximately one hour)
- In the evening a dinner at the Family Kitchen Table sharing the meal with other guests.
DAY 2. DISCOVER MATERA
Matera
The ancient town of Matera is the pride of Basilicata, with its idiosyncratic landscape, grottos and centuries-old frescos and workshops. This full day of discovery is your chance to experience it at its best…
- Light Breakfast before an easy walk to the casaro, who will invite you to experience the production of typical mozzarella and ricotta cheeses
The “casaro” will produce cheese with traditional and artisanal methods used for centuries on farms (“masseria”)
- Back to Palazzo Margherita to savour in some relaxation time
- Lunch at Palazzo Margherita
- Departure for Matera, you will stop on the way to visit the Crypt of the Original Sin (also known as the “Sistine Chapel” of the cave wall painting), along the ancient Appian Way with its suggestive representation of scenes of the Old and the New Testament, in a cycle of frescoes dating back to the 9th century AD.
- Guided tour of the ancient Sassi area of Matera and the Park of the Cave Churches. The Sassi originated from a prehistoric settlement, and consists of houses dug into the limestone rock. The Sassi and the Park of the Cave Churches of Matera are the most outstanding, intact example of a prehistoric settlement in the Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem. The first inhabited zone dates from the Paleolithic, while later settlements illustrate a number of significant stages in human history, and in 1992 the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List.
- Special visit of the 13th century Matera Cathedral (just inaugurated after the last magnificent restoration) dominating Matera from the top of the Sassi district; the Cathedral has been the main social and religious reference point of Matera for many years.
- Enjoy a guided tour of the Palomba Sculpture Park on the outskirts of Matera. Set in a century-old tufa stone mine, where traces of Paleolithic and Neolithic settlements have been found, the privately-owned park boasts a permanent exhibition of metal sculptures by the local artist Antonio Paradiso. One of them is the “Global Last Supper” made with iron bars and steel girders from New York City’s WTC Twin Towers destroyed on 9/11. Twisted metal comprises the “Global Last Supper”. In 2009, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey authorised the transfer of the World Trade Centre’s rubble for free to foundations, cities or artists who submitted a proposal for its use. Nine thousand requests from all over the world were submitted but from these, only about forty were selected. Antonio Paradiso, an Apulian artist, was the only Italian allowed to use a portion of the remains of Ground Zero, based on the merit of the artistic project he presented.
- You will have some spare time to tour the Art & Craft studios in town (a map and list will be provided)
- Dinner in Matera in a typical trattoria, sampling traditional local food
- After dinner you will return to Palazzo Margherita
(We recommend bringing sturdy rubber soled shoes, or bring a pair with you)
DAY 3. BEACH CLUB LA SPIAGGETTA and BERNALDA
Beach Club
- Breakfast at Palazzo Margherita
- 10:30 am: Departure for the beach and be welcomed with a drink and fresh fruit upon arrival*
- Lunch at the beach where you can taste fresh fish of the day
- After lunch return to Palazzo Margherita
- Take a walk in the charming ‘Bernalda Bella’, discovering its ancient churches, and taking in the gorgeous views of the Bradano Valley
- Dinner at Palazzo Margherita
Note * You will be transported to this secluded beach with a free shuttle service (departure at 10:30 am in the morning and return at 4:00 pm to the Palazzo) where you can choose to book either an umbrella or a gazebo. Extra cost applies for transfers outside these hours.
DAY 4. OPTION A – CRACO and TURSI
Craco
- Breakfast will be served at Palazzo Margherita
- A short drive to Craco to discover this atmospheric Ghost Town *
Note * The abandonment of the old houses transformed the area into a ghost town often used as a film set for historical films and as a tourist destination through guided tours. The village of Craco can be reached via a road that climbs from the valley up the hill. The grooves are deep and steep offering a picturesque and suggestive landscape. Surrounded by picturesque fields and olive groves, the town is a single sculptural composition of the closely aligned houses nested on the limestone cliff. Above the vaulted alleys and steep stairways rise the Norman Tower and the 13th century castle.
- Departure for Anglona and visit of the Calanchi Area *
Note * The Calanchi are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water.
- Guided tour of Sanctuary of Anglona *
Note * The Sanctuary of Santa Maria of Anglona is a national monument since 1931 and it is situated on a 263 mt hill.
- Guided tour of Tursi and its Rabatana – the original quarter from which the town of Tursi had developed, occupied by the Saracens in ancient times.
- Lunch in the old and Arab town centre of Tursi
- Return to Palazzo Margherita and enjoy some relaxation time
- Dinner will be served at Palazzo Margherita
(We recommend bringing sturdy rubber soled shoes, or bring a pair with you)
DAY 4. OPTION B – POLLINO NATIONAL PARK
Pollino National Park
- Dine on a delicious breakfast at Palazzo Margherita
- Departure for Pollino National Park *
Note * The Pollino National Park (Parco del Pollino) is a large, protected mountainous area, spreading over the border from Basilicata into the neighbouring region, Calabria.
- Take a nordic walk in the Pollino National Park among peaceful natural surroundings to discover the emblem of the park, the Bosnian pine, Pino Loricato, which grows here and in the Balkans.
- Picnic lunch with traditional local food prepared by the Palazzo’s Chef
- Take an exciting rafting excursion into the gorge of the Lao River in Pollino National Park, the best itinerary in all of Southern Italy which lasts approximately one hour
- Return to Palazzo Margherita
- Time to relax and put your feet up
- Dinner at Palazzo Margherita
(We recommend bringing sturdy rubber soled shoes, or bring a pair with you)
DAY 5. DEPARTURE DAY
- Breakfast at Palazzo Margherita
- Check-out (don’t feel sad, you can always return to soak up more special moments)
The Package
- Duration of the experience: 5 Days and 4 Nights
- Transfers: included for all excursions in the package
- See cost structure below
- This exclusive package is available to our clients for the whole year of 2017
Cost
- The cost of the above package (excluding rooms) and including everything stated above is Euro 1,970.00 for two people (if you choose Option A)
- Euro 2.100 for two people (if you choose Option B)
- Room rates start at an additional Euro 350 per night based on double occupancy in the Garden Room Two (prices vary according to our Seasonal Rates). Example: Low Season Double Occupancy (€1400 for four nights)
For reservations and to further enquire about this unique and exclusive offer for Italian Allure Travel clients, please email us at info@italianalluretravel.com and ask for the “Partner Exclusive Palazzo Margherita Five Day Retreat” Special Offer.