Cave Houses of Puglia Road Trip, Part 2: Matera and the fascinating UNESCO site

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

"The Carpe Diem Kids"

The cave houses of Matera were occupied for centuries in the UNESCO heritage site of Matera. Then in the 1950s, they fell into disrepair and squalor. Many are "repurposed" as elegant restaurants, shops and boutique hotels.

Until the 1950s, hundreds of families lived in the cave houses of southern Italy. We designed our Southern Puglia Road Trip to see these wondrous structures.

Cattle shared cave homes with families, sleeping behind the bed. Chickens roamed the kitchen, children shared clothing and everyone slept in a single bed or on the floor.

Hygiene was not up to modern standards so 75 years ago, public outcry forced health inspectors decided to clean up the caves, moving 20,000 residents to modern housing.

In a restored cave house, presented as it was lived in for centuries, Cookie admires the bedroom where cattle slept near the humans' bed. While many of the caves are now shops and eateries, a few were kept for tourists.

Exploring Matera today is stepping into the world's oldest continuously inhabited city. These aren't just holes in the wall, the hovels they once were.  

Families lived in these limestone warrens with their livestock, lacking electricity, ventilation, or clean water.

Now they are cozy, ancient dwellings. Some have been turned into unique places to stay on a Southern Italy road trip. They've been artfully converted from the primitive caves inhabited for centuries. A few cave houses were preserved as they were and are fascinating tourist attractions. Others have been converted to appealing restaurants, hotels and shops.

Matera is a fascinating grouping of caves, homes, cafes, shops and churches. Some of the cave homes have been restored and are offered as tourist attractions, with guided tours available.

Our southern Italy road trip led us to tour a restored cave house in Matera's Sassi di Matera district. It was cool, quiet, and felt welcoming. Docents explained how the family lived as we walked through, fascinated by the compact kitchen, and the cattle behind the bed. The walls were thick, white, and uneven, with high vaulted ceilings.

The air smelled of old stone, olive oil, and the nearby sea breeze, no longer "the shame of Italy" as the houses were once called.

Cookie and Keller pause in Matera's "Sassi" area, an appealing maze of ancient structures, some homes and others repurposed as shops, restaurants and hotels. This area is known for its cafes serving local cuisine.

The Great Rebirth

The caves were left to the ghosts, abandoned for decades as silent, crumbling ruins. But the tide turned in 1993 when UNESCO recognized the Sassi of Matera as a World Heritage site, sparking a movement to breathe life back into the stone.

Artists and visionaries began returning, seeing beauty where others saw decay.

They didn't just rebuild; they carefully restored. The transformation followed a unique "albergo diffuso" model -- a "scattered hotel" where rooms are tucked into different caves along the winding alleys, allowing the town itself to serve as the lobby.

Modern Magic: Ancient cisterns that once collected rainwater are now candlelit spas. Cave houses where cattle once stayed are appealing restaurant

Cave Houses of Puglia

This is a view from a cave lodging, Hotel Sassi, in the heart of the centuries old Sassi area of Matera.

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Walk into a living museum of stone and light, where honey-colored cliffs conceal homes, chapels, and alleys carved by hand. If you’re planning Southern Italy travel, this is a place where history isn’t behind glass; it’s under your feet, on the walls, and in the limestone dwellings that have evolved from shelters to stylish stays and cultural landmarks.

The James Bond movie, "No Time to Die," was partly filmed in Matera, with scenes in this ancient courtyard.

Matera Overview and James Bond

Matera seems to have existed forever. Only Aleppo and Jericho have similar history -- 10,000 years of habitation. The rock caves, the rocky Murgia of Matera and primitive dwellings of the Sassi tell of ancient people and long ago times. Movie makers were attracted and chose Matera for the opening scenes of "No Time to Die." The city, with its UNESCO World Heritage-listed ancient historic center, offered the perfect backdrop to reflect the sophisticated yet rough and authentic atmosphere that characterizes the James Bond films. Our guide pointed out filming spots on tours.

He also noted the Mafia's influence in Matera, which he said is still present through its role in various local services, managing economic competition, and settling scores, as reported by anti-mafia prosecutors and criminologists.

Where to Stop:

• Belvedere di Murgia Timone: A viewpoint across the gorge (Gravina) providing the best view of the entire Sassi skyline, especially at sunset.

• Tibetan Bridge of the Gravina: An adventurous, high suspension bridge crossing the canyon.

• MUSMA Museum: The Museum of Contemporary Sculpture, uniquely housed in a 17th-century cave palace.

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  This jolly mannequin invited Keller and Cookie to a feast including sardines and Matera's famous bread.

• Unique Cultural & Culinary Tips:

  • Taste Matera Bread: Try the local, protected PGI bread, known for its distinct shape and crunchy crust.

  • Crypt of the Original Sin: Known as the "Sistine Chapel" of rock churches, located outside the city center, featuring 1000-year-old frescoes.

  • Sassi in Miniature: A detailed, indoor, stone-carved model of the city.

• Best Time to Visit:

  • Matera is beautiful year-round, but spring and autumn offer lovely walking weather.

  • Sunset is magical when the cave lights turn on, creating a live nativity scene.

• Tips for Visiting:

  • Wear sturdy walking shoes as the streets and stairs are uneven and steep.

Matera stands on a ravine-edge plateau in the Basilicata region, a dramatic setting that shaped how people lived, worshiped, and worked for millennia.

It offers a layered timeline visible in its rock-cut architecture and maze-like quarters.

We included it in our southern Italy road trip, for Matera combines evocative history with modern comforts. The onetime symbol of poverty is now a balanced mix of artisan workshops, galleries, trattorias, and boutique accommodations.

As our guide said, "The Cave Houses of Matera are not static relics; they are a living blueprint of adaptation." Simple grotto shelters are sophisticated hospitality venues.

We wandered through narrow lanes, stopping to examine graves. We heard wind whistling through corridors, bells ringing from hilltop churches, sounds of a vibrant community. This blend of ancient stone and contemporary culture makes Matera unforgettable.

A tour group inspects Matera's ancient cemeteries, dating back to the Paleolithic and Byzantine era, now just indentations in the rock, yielding clues into life centuries ago

In Depth: the Sassi Region Specifically

The Sassi of Matera are the heart of the cave house phenomenon. Two districts, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso, are dwellings carved directly into the limestone rock.

As the caves sheltered early inhabitants, they provided natural insulation against the elements. Gradually, over centuries, the people expanded and connected their caves, creating a complex fabric of homes, churches, shops, communal spaces and graves. The Sassi is a maze of alleys, stairways and terraces revealing the ingenuity of past generations.

Matera dates back centuries, beyond 10,000 BCE. Here, a section of ancient dwellings await exploration.

The UNESCO designation highlights the cultural and historical importance of the Sassi, recognizing the area as a unique example of rock-cut settlement that has survived through continuous human use. The "repurposed" cave houses have become boutique hotels, restaurants, and museums, offering visitors a chance to experience history firsthand.

Exploring the Rock Churches of Matera

Our guide wanted us to see cave rock churches, "remarkable cultural treasures," he said. The churches, carved into the rock, feature frescoes dating back to the Byzantine era.

The Church of Santa Maria de Idris and the Crypt of the Original Sin are the most famous. We explored these sacred spaces to admire well-preserved frescoes depicting biblical scenes and saints. The churches provide insight into the spiritual life of Matera’s inhabitants and the artistic traditions that flourished in isolation.

A cave hotel offers a chance to enjoy comforts of the modern world while staying in a centuries old "repurposed" cave. Many of Matera's ancient caves are now boutique hotels, attractive shops and popular restaurants.

Staying in Cave Hotels

One of the most unique experiences in Matera is staying in a cave hotel. They blend ancient architecture with modern amenities, offering a cozy and atmospheric stay.

Many cave hotels feature stone walls, vaulted ceilings, and natural light filtering through small openings.

Trulli houses, also called "cone houses" are a must-see in Puglia. They are fascinating because they were built without mortar, using a dry-stone technique which allowed quick dismantling to avoid taxes.

COMING UP: Cone houses,called "Trulli," are another fascinating must-see attraction in Puglia. Come along as we finish our series on Italy's boot, a road trip of Puglia...Trulli are traditional, whitewashed limestone dwellings in Italy's Puglia region, specifically the Itria Valley, known for their iconic conical roofs and UNESCO-listed status in Alberobello.