The Grotte della Civita, within the Sassi of Matera - UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993 - were conceived with the intention of offering a unique hospitality experience which cannot be classified in stars and which is far from any traditional concept of luxury: the New York Times judges it to be one of the most extraordinary destinations in the world, the Times considers it one of the 10 most beautiful hotels of the international panorama, and Condé Nast’s Tatler guide has placed it among the one hundred most beautiful hotels on the planet.
Overhanging the river Gravina and looking out onto the dramatic scenery of the Parco della Murgia, it is a unique hotel structure with eighteen rooms built inside ancient caves and characterised by preservative restoration using exclusively centuries-old salvaged materials, from the floors to the furnishings. Even the linens come from antique wedding dowries. In keeping with the principles which have inspired the project, there are no televisions or frigobars in the rooms. The structure, with a capacity of forty guests, plays out on three levels connected by a stairway and by a system of terraces from which each room can be entered independently.
