Via Cava

The name of this ancient road, “Cava” (which means quarry) suggests that the area was formerly used as a stone supply site; it was originally a natural depression, which began to be regularized and became viable already in the Greek age, probably to make it easier to navigate the waters of the access to the sea. Used during the Roman era, it underwent important works of rearrangement, especially in the Middle Ages when several rooms (quarried directly in the altitude jump) were restored.

The rooms (that can be classified as hypogeums), were destined for all kinds of uses and retain traces (some of them very obvious), of the various eras that have seen them as protagonists.

The study of historical sources, as well as the archive survey, showed that much of these spaces intended for production or storage belonged to the nobles, clergy and religious orders of the city.

The luck of this type of construction was linked, most importantly, to its hypogeal identity which guaranteed safety (they were, in fact, within the defense walls) and a constant temperature which made them perfect to be used as oil mills, cellars, granaries etc.