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House museum · Matera, Basilicata
Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario
House dug into the rock in the Sasso Caveoso, furnished with original furniture and objects, showing how a family lived in the Sassi, together with the animals, before the evacuations of the 1950s.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario
The Casa Grotta is located in Vico Solitario, near the Piazza San Pietro Caveoso. A masonry arch, with changes made in the 18th century, gives access to a single room carved into the rock, where entire families lived.
It is the furniture that divides the space. There is the stove and the kitchen, a small table with a single large plate from which everyone ate, and the high bed on iron trestles, with a mattress of corn straw.
In front of the bed was the stable with the mule's manger, and further on a second stable, the quarry where tuff blocks were extracted, and a cistern for rainwater. Objects such as the lopa, an iron implement with hooks to retrieve buckets fallen into the well, help to understand daily life.
The visit shows the reality that led to the 1952 law that emptied the Sassi: large families and animals sharing a space without running water or sewage. At the entrance there is a description in several languages.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About 20 minutes.
Best time
At any time; open year-round. Check the opening times before you go.
How to get there
It is located in Vico Solitario, in the Sasso Caveoso, a few steps from the Piazza San Pietro Caveoso.
Tip
Visit it before the rock churches: it helps to understand how the Sassi were inhabited. A multilingual description is available at the entrance.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario
What do you see in the Casa Grotta?
A house hewn into the rock with original furniture and objects, including the mule's stall and the cistern.
Is information available in other languages?
There is a description in several languages; check beforehand whether Portuguese is included.
How long does it take?
About 20 minutes.