Documented accounts of underground storage structures across Italy — their physical construction, historical use, and the preservation traditions they made possible.
Cellars & Vaults
More than 1,200 cave spaces have been mapped beneath Orvieto. The soft volcanic tufa that made them possible also made them stable enough to use for wine storage for over two millennia.
Water & Storage Systems
The sassi of Matera contain over 150 documented cisterns built over a thousand years. The largest, Palombaro Lungo, held 5,000 cubic metres of water and remained in use until 1959.
Preservation Techniques
At depths of four to five metres, ground temperature in central Italy holds steady at 12–14 °C year-round. This account describes how rural producers used that stability for wine, cured meats, oil, and vegetables.