Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario (Cave House of Lonely Alley), Matera (must see)

A short walk from Sassi di Matera, the cave district of Matera, is Casa Grotta, the historic Cave House of Lonely Alley (Vico Solitario). Cave houses were abandoned by law in 1952. A visit to the Cave House in Lonely Alley will give an idea of what existence was like for the tenants in their caves.

The entrance arch of the Cave House, framed by a large rock cavity, is the only built element standing by the cave. The most recent changes within the cave date from the 1700s. In a large single room, spaces are marked out by furnishings. In the hearth/kitchen is a table with one large plate from which everyone had eaten.

A bed made of iron trestles and planks holds a corn mattress. Across from the bed is a manager for the family mule. On the other side of a partition are a space where the tufa rock is quarried and a circular pit for manure. There is a system for water collection consisting of canals and a cistern.

There is a brazier, a laundry tub, and a communal oven. The bed is high off the floor, away from dampness. The stables and like rooms are in the back. The kitchen, living room, dining room, and bedroom spaces are in the front for better light and aeration.

When the district was abandoned, it became a cave ghost town. Since then, however, many caves have been restructured as tourist lodgings and Bed & Breakfasts. Even with these improvements, the voices and aromas of 100 years ago seem to linger.

In the ancient snow collection cave nearby, B&W documentary videos show the lives of the cave people of yore. The neighboring rock church of San Pietro Monterrone dates from the 9th century AD.

The Cave House Museum is managed by Matera Theater Group (Gruppo Teatro Matera), a non-profit cultural association.