Photos: Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Benjamin Smith, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 User:MatthiasKabel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Benjamin Smith, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 User:MatthiasKabel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
A cave house kept as it was in the 1950s
Your local guide
Antonio Nicoletti
View profile
Highlights
- One room for a family and their animals
- A loom still set up in the corner
- A household cistern built into the wall
- Everyday life before the Sassi emptied out
- The human side of Matera's history
About this tour
This session goes inside a cave house furnished exactly as families left it when the Sassi were emptied in the 1950s. You see the single room shared by people and animals, the loom still set up in the corner, and a small household cistern like the ones used across the district. It shows the everyday version of a life that guidebooks often only summarise.
I move slowly from one corner of the room to another, since there is a lot to see in a small space, and take questions throughout on how families actually lived here. I send a short note afterwards on where to see similar houses nearby.
This suits anyone who wants the human side of the Sassi story rather than only the architecture. It also pairs well with a session on the rock churches above the ravine.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Matera before heading out.
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Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario 21 min
You see one room set up exactly as a family left it in the 1950s, with the bed, the loom and the space where animals slept only a few steps away.
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A shared water cistern 21 min
I point out the small cistern built into the corner of the house, the same kind of rainwater system used across the whole district.
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Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Matera: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Pane di Matera IGP and Civita, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Rome time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 9 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Matera, showing you Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario and A shared water cistern live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on Google Meet and I send the link with your booking. I move slowly through the room so you can see how little space a family had.
Times shown in Rome time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Sat 7 Nov · 9 seats left From 21,00 €
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