The Serene Cave (Grotta Serena) in the area known as the 'Land of the Etruscans'

Amongst the greenery of this countryside you'll discover a flower in the buttonhole of our holiday farm: the Serene Cave (La Grotta Serena).

If you take a stroll around, you'll notice a vulcanic wall behind which is the cave, which has been converted into an apartment for those tourists who are lovers of the 'Land of the Etruscans'.

You can admire how the wearing down effect of water over time has chiselled and carved the triangular shape of the roof.

Inside the cave there's a rectangular room with various recesses off it. The right hand niche, the largest one, is the bedroom and the bathroom has been located in the niche on the left.

The history of the Serene Cave – as an Etruscan dwelling place

One historian has told us that the cave was definitely dug in Etruscan times and its exposition to the sun would confirm this theory: the sun rises in front of the bedroom window and sets where the oven is located.

During the renovation work on the cave it was discovered that it was originally used by the Etruscans as a place to keep animals. There is little remaining evidence of etruscan dwellings which were almost all built of materials which have not lasted over time but they were always built in positions with a good exposition to the sun.

We know for certain that the cave was used to hide a family during the First World War. During the passage of the Marocchi soldiers through the area the owner was taken prisoner and released beyond Grosseto.

The family lived there for several years, building a bread oven, using one of the niches as a well to collect rainwater and making a connecting drain to another niche where they used to wash their clothes.

In fact there were many poor families who used caves to live in, often building a fireplace inside to heat them.

Relax in the Etruscan Lands

This is a magical place to spend your holidays. The idea of creating a living space underground was to give people the chance to have a truly unique experience far away from the chaos and stress of the city.

Spending time in such a magical place will surely make you feel as though you've gone back decades in time.

There are many stories attached to this apartment, it's been used by honeymooning couples, for relaxing holidays by visitors, many of whom have come back time after time, and even by a couple of runaway lovers.

The cave is often compared to Sassi di Matera or the houses of Alberobello, but in the valley of the Land of the Etruscans, it's unique of its kind.

Bio Agricert

Azienda Bio Agricert