Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita is the more severe and more committed of the major cave hotels in Matera — the project, by hotelier Daniele Kihlgren, preserves the original cave volumes with almost no modification. The tuff stone walls remain unplastered; the floors are ancient stone; the only light sources are candles and small spot fixtures in the rock. The freestanding bathtub in the cave bathroom — warm water, warm candlelight, warm stone — is the defining image of a stay here. The hotel operates under a conservation philosophy: what has survived in the Sassi should survive further. There is no Wi-Fi in the rooms by design. The experience is particular and not for everyone; for those for whom it works, it is irreplaceable.
Sasso Caveoso, Matera, Italy