Palazzo Margherita is situated in Bernalda, a small hilltop town near the Ionian Sea in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy. Located in the province of Matera, which is famous for its ancient cave dwellings, historic houses and unspoiled villages, Bernalda is relatively unknown to tourists. It is just twenty minutes from numerous pristine, white-sand beaches; one can choose between quiet seclusion or beach-club action and shoreside tavernas.
The town was the birthplace and home to Agostino Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola’s grandfather, who always referred to it affectionately as “Bernalda bella.” Francis purchased the Palazzo in 2004 with the desire to transform it into a small, luxurious hotel, believing it was time to introduce visitors to this stunning and still undiscovered region.
The surrounding countryside, which was settled by the Greeks before the Roman era, 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. The Palazzo has been completely restored by Francis Coppola and acclaimed French designer Jacques Grange, creating a luxurious, authentically Italian experience that ushers guests into a private world of palatial comfort, surrounded by gardens and rooms decorated with stunning authenticity.
The interior is styled with tiled floors as well as Moroccan and Baroque-inspired hand-painted fresco ceilings. Grange designed some of the exotic tiles and furniture, including one of the most beautiful suites, which is in a Tunisian style to honor Francis Coppola’s Tunisian-born grandmother. All of the floors in the Palazzo have been restored from the original marble.
Address:
Palazzo Margherita
Corso Umberto 64
75012 Bernalda (MT)
Italy
More information at www.palazzomargherita.com
