Things to see · Museums
Cave House of Vico Solitario
Matera (Matera)
Cave House of Vico Solitario is in Matera, province of Matera. Opening hours: Oct–Mar: Mon–Fri 9:30–18:00, Sat–Sun 9:30–19:00. Apr–Jun and Sep: Mon–Fri 9:30–19:00, Sat–Sun 9:30–20:00. Jul–Aug: daily 9:00–20:30. Admission: Full €8; reduced €5 (over 65, university students, FAI/CTG members, guided groups); €3 ages 11–18 and schools; free under 10 and for Matera residents.
- Full €8; reduced €5 (over 65, university students, FAI/CTG members, guided groups); €3 ages 11–18 and schools; free under 10 and for Matera residents.
- Oct–Mar: Mon–Fri 9:30–18:00, Sat–Sun 9:30–19:00. Apr–Jun and Sep: Mon–Fri 9:30–19:00, Sat–Sun 9:30–20:00. Jul–Aug: daily 9:00–20:30.
About this place
The Storica Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario is a historic cave house in the Sasso Caveoso, furnished as it was when people lived in it, with original furniture and tools. It is one of the most visited sights in Matera, because in just a few metres it shows how peasant families lived in the Sassi before the relocation.
Life in a cave house
Before the special law of 1952, thousands of families, often large ones, lived in the Sassi in a single room carved into the rock. In the same cave people cooked, slept, worked and kept animals: the mule, the donkey, the hens and sometimes a pig. The animals were precious, as they were needed for work in the fields and to keep the house warm in winter.
The Casa Grotta recreates this world: the high bed, with a mattress of maize leaves and drawers used as cradles for newborn babies, the hearth, the loom, the manger, the stable, the cellar and the tools for working the fields. A system of channels carried rainwater to the cistern, and the ice house (neviera) stored snow to provide water and cold even in summer. The last family left these rooms in 1956, when they moved to the new neighbourhoods. The museum opened in 1977.
What to see
• The cave house with its original furnishings, the hearth, the bed and the corners of everyday life.
• The stable and the manger, where the animals lived alongside the family.
• The cistern and the ice house, to understand how water was collected and stored.
• The natural cave and the rock-cut church of Sant’Agostino al Casalnuovo, included in the ticket.
• The film about the history of Matera and the Sassi.
How to get there
• On foot: it is located in the Sasso Caveoso, just below the Monterrone, near the churches of Santa Maria de Idris and San Giovanni in Monterrone. From piazza San Pietro Caveoso it is a few minutes’ walk.
• By car: cars cannot enter the Sassi; it is best to leave your car in the car parks of the new town.
Useful information
• Entry is free, with an audio guide available in many languages, including the Materano dialect.
• You can book on the website; for groups and visits outside opening hours, it is advisable to contact the venue at least one day in advance.
• Special opening hours on 2 July, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 31 December and 1 January.
