In the Sassi, GESTI is born: ARTEMA inaugurates its new gastronomic series with Enrico Bartolini
Matera is a city that never forgets. In its Sassi time does not disappear, but settles: in the stone, in the cavities, in the carved-out architecture, in the silences that preserve memory. It is a place built in layers, where every trace becomes a story and every human gesture leaves a mark.
From this vision springs GESTI the new gastronomic series by ARTEMA, the restaurant at Vetera Matera, designed to bring together leading figures in contemporary cuisine.
A project rooted in a clear vision: cuisine, like the city that hosts it, is made up of memory, matter, transformation, and gestures passed down through the generations.
The first event will take place on Friday, June 26 and will feature Enrico Bartolini, Chef Patron of the three-Michelin-starred Enrico Bartolini restaurant at Mudec in Milan, as a guest of Eduardo Estatico, Executive Chef of ARTEMA.
The two chefs will create a four-handed dinner in the heart of the Sassi, conceived as a meeting of different yet complementary sensibilities.
On one hand, Bartolini’s cuisine: precise, elegant, and minimalist, capable of transforming Italy’s culinary heritage into a contemporary language. On the other, Eduardo Estatico’s vision, which interprets Southern Italy as a unified cultural landscape, weaving together Naples and Matera, folk tradition and innovation, the identity of Basilicata, and a Mediterranean spirit.
The evening’s menu will take guests on a journey through regions, memories, and culinary techniques. Estatico’s dishes—such as the Oliva Infornata, centered around the Ferrandina olive; the Mangiamaccheroni, a tribute to the biodiversity of Southern Italy; and Il Re Babà, an ideal bridge between Naples and Matera—will be paired with some of Bartolini’s iconic creations: from Contemporary Beef in Aspic with Oscietra Royal Caviar to Risotto with Red Turnips and “Evoluzione” Gorgonzola Sauce, to Turbot in a Green Sauce with Salicornia and Tradition Caviar.
The result will be a collaborative gastronomic narrative, where the dish is not merely a technical exercise but a form of storytelling. Ingredients, memory, territory, and gesture will become part of a single experience, in which the kitchen becomes a space for connection and exchange.
“Every cuisine begins with a gesture. A gesture that holds a memory, a technique, a territory, and a personal story. With GESTI, we wanted to create a space where these stories can meet and engage in dialogue. Beginning this journey with Enrico Bartolini means welcoming one of the most authoritative voices in contemporary Italian cuisine to ARTEMA, in a place like Matera where time and memory are part of the everyday landscape,” says Eduardo Estatico.
A vision also shared by Enrico Bartolini, who emphasizes the emotional and relational value of cuisine:
“‘Love for life is also a desire to savor it. That’s why I believe that cuisine is, first and foremost, a language capable of forging relationships, preserving memories, and generating new emotions. “I am happy to share this experience with Eduardo Estatico at ARTEMA, in a unique place like Matera, where every stone tells a story and every story continues to generate new visions,” adds Enrico Bartolini.
With GESTI, ARTEMA thus inaugurates a new chapter in its gastronomic journey: an event that aims to explore food not only as a sensory experience, but as a cultural phenomenon—a meeting of identities and an opportunity for new perspectives.
Vetera Matera is a boutique hotel affiliated with Relais & Châteaux that offers an authentic, immersive stay deeply rooted in the local area. The rooms and suites, carved out of ancient rock, bring the history of the place to life in a contemporary way: minimalist, evocative spaces where architecture, design, and comfort interact with the living rock of the Sassi.
The Elysium SPA, carved into the rock, is a haven of peace and well-being, where guests can rejuvenate body and mind with exclusive treatments. The experience is rounded out by a culinary offering that showcases local cuisine through a modern lens, as presented by the ARTEMA Restaurant, which reinterprets the traditions of Basilicata with a contemporary twist.
Vetera Matera is designed for an international audience— one that is curious, cultured, and drawn to destinations that embody a strong identity. A new landmark in the Italian hôtellerie, it restores a vibrant and contemporary voice to the city of Matera.
Vetera Matera is part of the B Bellevue GroupB , the holding company of the Russo Attanasio family, which for generations has redefined luxury with a tailor-made sensibility, understated elegance, and an innovative spirit. In addition to this gem in Matera, the group boasts iconic properties such as the Hotel Bellevue Syrene and Capo Santa Fortunata in Sorrento, the Hotel Morfeo in Milan, and Piemme, a historic artisan company founded in 1969 and guardian of the tradition of Sorrento Limoncello.
In the heart of Matera, where every stone seems to hold a story, cuisine returns to what it has always been: a human gesture, a living memory, matter transformed into a narrative.
