The cave homes of Matera, Italy.

Matera in Italy, a UNESCO listed town, is the most outstanding example of a cave settlement in the Mediterranean, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem. It has provided shelter for people since the Palaeolithic period.

This is the fire place in one of the rooms of Le Grotte della Civita [Caves of Civita], a unique hotel set in the caves of Matera.

7 steps through a cave home

Matera's old quarters are built into and over limestone caves and interwoven by narrow cobbled streets. These remarkable underground homes include rock-hewn churches and many half-carved, half-built dwellings looking out onto the Gravina Gorge.

The hotel has 18 cave rooms and a restaurant; all renovated over 10 years with obsessive attention to detail and respect for the local architecture and the environment.

Recycled wooden furniture and cosy nooks are the only visible decoration with under-floor heating beneath the cobblestones.

More cave homes ...