Historic Apennine village, Matera can be found in the south of Italy and is world famous because of its Sassi quarters, a stunning and well preserved example of a village where hundreds of caves were turned into dwellings, churches and palaces. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993, the Sassi represent a unique hamlet throughout Italy: the earliest inhabitants date back to the stone and bronze age, in the middle ages it boasted several monastic communities and later became a vibrant farming centre. Le Grotte della Civita is placed in the oldest part of the Sassi, the CIVITA, facing the spectacular Murgia park and its rock-hewn churches. It comprises 18 rooms and an ancient church, the “Cripta della Civita”, now used as a common area, all renovated to retain their original features.