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Slip through Matera’s ancient lanes into a place where the walls are rock, the light is candle soft, and bedtime feels like you’ve time travelled.
Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita isn’t a hotel in a historic building so much as a whole historic neighbourhood brought back to life. There are 18 atmospheric grotto-like rooms and a former cave church, set in Matera’s oldest Sassi district, the Civita, staring straight out towards the dramatic Murgia park and its rock-hewn landscape. The feel is intentionally stripped back and fabulously sensory, with stone, shadow, and silence, so you’re not distracted by screens and shiny gimmicks. It’s a stay for people who want their destination to feel real, and their luxury to be the kind you remember.
Why we love Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
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The wow is baked in. Your room is a restored cave, not a themed imitation. Every arch and recess looks like it’s been there forever – because it pretty much has.
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Breakfast in a cave church with local produce and Matera specialities is a flex, frankly.
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Dinner can be staged in a deconsecrated church lit solely by candles with classical music and a fireplace. Romance levels? Off the charts.
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It’s easy to hire a car and visit the Trulli famous town of Alberobello just an hour away.
Rooms
Rooms here are proper caves, restored to keep their original character, so expect sculpted stone, vaults, recesses, and layouts that are far from the standard hotel rectangle. They feel distinctly and deliberately pared back. Many feature tubs placed in wonderfully dramatic spots, with showers and sinks carved into the rock. What you generally won’t get is a screen-led experience. There’s no TV, which is kind of the point, you’re meant to savour the atmosphere.
A cosy cave dwelling that gives you the full Matera experience in its most intimate form.
- double bed
- stone-carved bathroom with bath or walk-in shower
- window with views towards the Murgia Park in some rooms
- 30 to 35m²
More generous cave spaces with the option of a signature stone bathtub.
- double bed
- stone-carved bathroom
- stone bathtub (in bedroom or bathroom) in some rooms
- walk-in shower (in some rooms; upon request)
- 40 to 70m²
Spacious historic cave dwellings that can sleep up to four and often include dramatic in-room tubs.
- king-size bed
- additional beds on request
- freestanding stone bathtub (often in bedroom)
- walk-in shower
- separate living area in some suites
- balcony or panoramic window in some suites
- 70 to 150m²
The largest and most theatrical cave spaces, some with terraces or fireplaces.
- king-size bed
- additional single beds on request
- freestanding bathtub and walk-in shower
- separate living area
- fireplace in selected suites
- 80 to 120m²
Facilities
Mornings are the highlight, with breakfast served in a XIII-century cave church, featuring a generous spread of local products and Matera classics, including the region’s bread, focaccia, dairy, fruit, jams, and baked goodies. Evenings are more curated, with dinner is available on request and staged in a candlelit, deconsecrated church, with local cuisine and a strong special-occasion energy. For everything else, casual lunches, aperitivo hopping, and a scoop of gelato, Matera’s Sassi is packed with great little spots a short walk away.
What's Included
Breakfast at the hotel’s cave church.
There’s no big spa complex or gym floor here. Wellness is low-key but well thought-through, with massage available in your own cave room with oils, herbal teas, candles, and a soothing soundtrack. Treatments include Reiki, deep connective tissue, lymphatic drainage, couples massage, and anti-stress and relaxation-focused sessions. Private in-room yoga or Pilates can also be arranged on request.
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