Palazzo Margherita is situated in Bernalda, a small hilltop town in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy located in the province of Matera, famous for its ancient cave dwellings, dramatic landscapes and historic houses. Bernalda is relatively unknown outside of Italy. It is just ten minutes from the coast, where miles of white sand beaches border the Ionian Sea, as this part of the Mediterranean is known. While the neighboring region of Puglia has become popular with tourists, Bernalda remains largely undiscovered—one of a few remaining parts of Italy where the culture, food and wine remain authentic and untouched by the world beyond. The townspeople offer a genuine hospitality that makes every visitor feel more like a friend or neighbor than a tourist. It is said that anyone who visits Bernalda cannot resist returning.

Palazzo Margherita, a true 19th century palazzo, was built in 1892 by the Margherita family. The town was the birthplace and home to Agostino Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola’s grandfather, who always affectionately referred to it as “Bernalda bella.” The small town holds a special place in the family history, which is what drew Francis to first visit in the 1960s. He acquired the Palazzo in 2005. 

Completely restored in collaboration with acclaimed French designer Jacques Grange, the Palazzo offers a luxurious yet authentic Italian experience, with vast bedrooms, ornate reception rooms and an inner courtyard opening onto a world of private gardens and a swimming pool. In keeping with Francis’s desire to create an environment his children would want to continually return to, the entire family collaborated with Grange in contributing personal details to individual rooms, adding to the special atmosphere of visiting a private home. The interior is styled with tiled floors and hand-painted fresco ceilings. Some of the furniture and finishes were personally designed by Grange, and the floors have been restored from the original marble, with additional craftsmanship provided by painters and artisans in the region.

The surrounding countryside, which was settled by the Greeks before the Roman Empire, is part of the Hellenic Magna Graecia—the coastal areas of Southern Italy—where the thriving local agriculture produces sumptuous fruits and vegetables, as well as the Aglianico grapes used to make wines of the same name. Nestled between the ancient cities of Metapontum and Matera, the area is rich with history, including haunting primordial cave dwellings referred to as “Sassi,” which have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

ACCOMODATION

Garden Suite One  –  This suite embodies the elegance of Italian country house style—an airy, traditional room that opens directly onto the courtyard garden and fountain. Situated on the ground floor, it also features a spacious, ensuite sitting room with a floor to ceiling window that heightens the effect of being secluded in one’s own private garden. The large bathroom includes a clawfoot bathtub and separate glass shower among its many details, setting it apart from other luxury hotels in Italy. Queen-size bed. 550 square feet (51 square meters). Capacity 3.

Garden Room Two –  An elegant and traditional room that opens directly onto the lush private garden and fountain. It features vaulted ceilings, a large closet, and a writing desk. A beautifully appointed bathroom is highlighted by a clawfoot bathtub beneath a window that overlooks the garden. Queen-size bed. 320 square feet (30 square meters). Capacity 2.

Garden Room Three   –  Like our other garden room inside our Italy luxury hotel, this one embodies the simple elegance of Italian country house living. Grand barn-like doors that open onto the inner courtyard create a setting that is both sophisticated and rustic. A luxurious bathroom includes a clawfoot bathtub and separate glass shower. Queen-size bed. 370 square feet (34 square meters). Capacity 3.

Suite Four (Sofia)  –  Jacques Grange designed this suite of our luxury Italian hideaway in collaboration with Sofia Coppola; its mood is delicate and feminine, with hand-painted frescos evoking a misty summer garden at dawn. A Juliet balcony off the bedroom overlooks the courtyard and the palatial bathroom has a steam shower and a clawfoot bathtub. French doors from the bathroom and bedroom lead to a fully-furnished private terrace that offers a magical view of the garden and fountain. King-size bed. 670 square feet (62 square meters). Capacity 2*. 

*Special accommodations are available for reservations of the entire hideaway.

Suite Five  –  Classic Italian décor lends this suite of our boutique hotel in Italy a warm ambiance with a modern touch. A secret back staircase leads to an upstairs loft, whose single bed and sitting room make it an enchanting hideaway for a child, or a perfect private reading room for adults. (It is said that this was the room of the Palazzo’s young maid, Palmetto, who had given her heart to the dashing Agostina Coppola.) The room also features a majestic ceiling with a hand-painted restored fresco, and spacious bathroom with a clawfoot bathtub and separate shower. A Juliet balcony faces the main street and town square, a perfect spot to enjoy coffee or tea. King-size bed. 620 square feet (57 square meters). For more information about our boutique hotel in Italy, contact us. Capacity 4.

Suite Six  – This majestically proportioned suite pays tribute to Italian décor of the early 20th century, combining simple elegance with bold ornament. A Juliet balcony opens onto the main street and leafy town square. The magnificent ceiling, with a restored, hand-painted fresco, and the spacious bathroom with clawfoot bathtub and separate shower add to the room’s comfortable formality. King-size bed. 590 square feet (55 square meters). Capacity 3.

Suite Seven (Roman)   –  This modernist-inspired suite at our Italian luxury hideaway was designed by Jacques Grange in collaboration with Roman Coppola. Its Art Deco furniture and lighting, elegant slate bathroom, and restored fresco of the same period lend an international flair. It includes a fully-furnished shared terrace for dining or relaxing outdoors as well as a Juliette balcony that opens to the beautiful courtyard below. A lavish bathroom includes a separate shower and clawfoot bathtub. King-size bed. 470 square feet (43 square meters). Capacity 2.

Suite Eight (Gia)  –  This romantic suite at our Italian boutique hotel was designed as a gift to Gia Coppola, Francis’s first granddaughter.  It features a subtle Rococo design with a delicate fresco on the ceiling representing Cupid and Psyche, symbolising good fortune and happy harmony to lovers. A large walk-in closet and separate dressing room add to the dramatic scale. A balcony offers a view of Bernalda’s main street and town square, a perfect spot from which to enjoy the spectacle of unhurried, small-town life. A spacious bathroom includes a clawfoot bathtub and separate shower. King-size bed. 780 square feet (70 square meters). Capacity 3. 

For those of our guests who are newlyweds, our luxury hotel in Italy offers the Gia Suite in our Honeymoon Experience.

Suite Nine (Francis)  – Integrating subtle elements of North African design—a historical influence in Southern Italy—this picturesque suite has a fully-furnished shared terrace overlooking the garden and courtyard. The style is intended to honour Francis’s Tunisian-born grandmother, Maria Zasa, distinguishing it from other luxury hotels in Italy.  A striking tiled fireplace and an anteroom with a large writing desk add to the regal splendour of this suite. A luxurious bathroom includes a clawfoot bathtub and separate shower. Walls and high ceilings feature beautifully restored paintings and frescos. 795 square feet (73 square meters). Capacity 2*.  *Special accommodations are available for reservations of the entire hideaway.