Deep in the south of Italy, in the region of Basilicata forming “the arch”of the boot of the country, lies the city of Matera and its famous “Sassi” or cave dwellings of the ancient city center.
Divided into two distinct settlements by a ravine called “La Gravina” the dwellings have evolved from the rudimentary caverns of the Paleolithic period to sophisticated structures with multiple rooms and elaborately carved facades.
Declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1993, the Sassi have seen a rise in tourism-oriented restoration projects seeking to provide modern amenities while retaining the ancient rupestrian charm of this unique site.
Le Grotte della Civita, a hotel created by the group Sextantio, is an exquisite example of this preservation philosophy.
What makes a place special to us is that oft intangible quality–the “spirit of place”–the synergistic result of just the right elements coming together in a most magical way…Le Grotte della Civita has this in abundance.
