Going Underground: Discover Puglia’s Beautiful Caves
Take a deep dive into Puglia’s historic caves, uncover paintings and one of the most breathtaking natural swimming pools in the world. The region’s extraordinary network of caves combines millennia of history with impressive geology.
Grotte di Castellana
Archaeologists, geologists and tomb raiders will want to visit the Castellana Caves, Italy's longest natural underground network, half an hour by car from Masseria Torre Maizza.
The rugged chambers come with inventively descriptive names, such as Cyclops, Angel and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. However, it’s the cavernous expanse of Grotta Bianca (or White Grotto), a cathedral-like space which truly takes the breath away, while the spirit of Hades is conjured up in Hell in the Cave, a fiery aerial display inspired by Dante’s Inferno. For something really special visit at night for a torch-lit descent illuminating the vast network of caves, as you share the underworld with bats and beetles.
At Home in Caves
From Grotte di Castellana, drive an hour west into the centre of Puglia, to the beautiful town of Gravina di Puglia, tucked away on the limestone Murge plateau.
Less well known than Matera, Gravina is also home to cave dwellings and churches hewn out of the rocky hillside. Cross the incredible aqueduct bridge, which featured in the James Bond film, ‘No Time to Die’, to arrive at the church of Chiesa rupestre di San Michele delle Grotte, with its stone columns and statues, frescoes and human skeletal remains.
Otranto and the Deer Cave
The grottos surrounding the medieval town of Otranto are a mecca for spelunkers and speleophiles. The most impressive of this cave complex is the Grotta dei Cervi (or Deer Cave) near the town of Porto Badisco. Make sure you take a mask and snorkel to swim with sea bream and octopus before reaching the hunting scenes painted onto the cave walls 8,000 years ago. Dance rituals, stags and abstract drawings are all that’s left of an ancient human culture.
The Rhythms of The Poetry Cave
Half an hour north of Grotta dei Cervi is the lyrical sounding Poetry Cave (or Grotta della Poesia in Italian). You may be moved to verse as you admire the pristine aquamarine waters of this incredible natural swimming pool.
On closer inspection, the collapsed cave is more than a spectacular rock pool. Inside the archaeological site of Roca Vecchia, whose hollowed space was once home to the Bronze Age Messapi people, you’ll discover their imprint indelibly etched into their houses, battles and bones.
Do you want to explore Puglia’s impressive caves and grottoes? At Masseria Torre Maizza our Concierge, Pasquale Bernardo, contactable at reservations.torremaizza@roccofortehotels.com or +39 06 32 888 890, will happily arrange your underground adventure.
You may also like
Exploring Europe Outside the Olympics
Paris is always a good idea. Except, perhaps, when it’s hosting the Olympic Summer Games, and the usual tourist throng looks set to multiply almost prohibitively. Of course, the Games are exciting, but if wading through crowds feels like a marathon effort, try a cultural relay around one of these stunning European cities instead.
A World Within: Europe’s Most Enthralling Opera Houses
As the gentle glow of each ornate chandelier begins to dim, a hush descends upon the audience before an all-consuming world of tragedy and triumph unfolds. Both exhilarating and deeply moving, a night at the opera has the distinct power to evoke emotion, while offering a unique insight into a perhaps unfamiliar city.
Journey through Europe’s symphony of unmissable opera houses, each steeped in history and grandeur.
Stepping into an urban oasis: Olga Polizzi unveils Hotel de Rome’s new lobby
They say the lobby is the beating heart of any hotel; where first impressions linger, inspiring journeys begin and end, and friends and lovers reunite. Upon entering Hotel de Rome, an immediate sense of calm is restored, as light pours in from the glass atrium and plants and palms breathe new life into the space. Olga Polizzi, Director of Design at Rocco Forte Hotels, shares her inspiration behind the hotel lobby’s new look.
