A large rocky cavity frames the entrance arch of the Cave House, the only built element leaning against the cave in which the dwelling was carved; the last modifications of the facade date back to the 1700s.
The peculiarities of the Vico Solitario Cave House are: the fireplace with the area designated as a kitchen, a small table in the middle of the house with the single large plate from which everyone ate, the bed made up of two iron trestles supporting wooden boards, and the mattress filled with corn leaves; opposite the bed, the stable with the manger that housed the mule.
Beyond a small partition, there was another stable with a manger, the tuff quarry from which the tuff blocks were extracted, and a circular cavity used as a dung heap or straw storage.
Of particular interest is the system for collecting rainwater from outside; the canalization and the cistern are clearly visible.
In the rooms adjacent to the Cave House are an ancient icehouse, a fascinating natural cave, and a rock church dating back to the 9th–10th century A.D.
Information about Vico Solitario Cave House
Vico Solitario, 11 75100 Matera
Tel. 0835 310118 Email info@casagrotta.it
