off the beaten path Italy

We Traveled to Irsina, Italy to Find a Family Home—Here’s What Happened

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As you may know, I have planned numerous Italy vacations, including a few with around 10 people. In 2025, however, I was asked to plan the most important one yet – a 10-person trip to Italy to visit an ancestral home in the tiny town of Irsina, Italy! Challenged accepted.

In this post, I’m sharing how our time in Irsina played out—and how you might plan a similar Italian roots-seeking experience of your own.

The whole family – plus me and Dan – in Irsina, Italia. WE MADE IT!

IRSINA, ITALIA

Irsina, Italy is a tiny, hilltop town in Basilicata. It is about 45 minutes from Matera by car, which is likely the closest city to Irsina that you know. The population is only around 5,000 people, including some ex-pats from the US (Irsina was the subject of an interesting CNN article in 2023 discussing its ex-pat community).

From its hilltop perch, Irsina over looks a sweeping grain plateau, which produces much of the pasta used in Italy(!). Given that fact, the city’s economy is, not surprisingly, largely based on agriculture. Tourism is an afterthought at best. Indeed, I did not see a single tourist-centric shop (or honestly even an open shop) during our time in Irsina.

Some of the grain fields surrounding Irsina. They are quite majestic.

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Off-the-Beaten-Path Italy: Matera’s Ancient Streets and Delicious Eats

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Matera was the second stop on our 2025 Italian family trip, and one I’d planned with intention. Tucked into the southern region of Basilicata, this wasn’t my first visit. Dan and I had traveled to Matera back in 2021, and I knew it was somewhere worth returning to, especially if you want an Italy experience that feels completely different from the usual Rome–Florence–Venice (or Amalfi) circuit.

Welcome Matera, Italia. It doesn’t look anything like the Italian hotspots. 

We based ourselves in Matera for a special, and specific, reason: it’s the closest city to our friend’s ancestral hometown of Irsina. That made Matera the perfect home base for a day trip to Irsina, which ended up being one of the most memorable parts of our trip. While Irsina was the reason for our visit, we spent a decent amount of time in Matera itself.

Matera’s Sassi.

If you haven’t been, Matera doesn’t feel like anywhere else in Italy. The cave dwellings, the winding stone alleys, the layered views over the Sassi; it almost feels cinematic (and for good reason). This post walks you through exactly how we spent our time in Matera—what we prioritized, where we ate and drank, and how I’d recommend doing the same if you’re following a similar itinerary.

MATERA, ITALY: A [VERY] BRIEF BACKGROUND

Matera is the second-largest city in Basilicata and easily the region’s most visited, but it feels absolutely nothing like the rest of Italy. It’s  one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, with roots dating back to the 8th millennium BC. Adding to its ancientness, Matera is carved directly into limestone rock and split between two historic cliffside districts known as the Sassi, plus a modern town above.

Matera against a bright blue background. We had great weather when we arrived…

We stayed in the Sassi, and I’d recommend doing the same, unless you have mobility issues, as the Sassi is where you really experience what makes Matera special. Indeed, walking through the Sassi feels like stepping into another time entirely. It feels older and quieter that Italy’s more popular destiations, and a little surreal. The closest comparisons I can make are Petra in Jordan,  Cappadocia in Türkiye, or Mdina in Malta, with its layered stone buildings and dramatic views carved into the landscape.

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