Rock Settlement and Museum of Rural Life of Zungri, Archaeological museum in Zungri, Italy.
The Rock Settlement and Museum of Rural Life in Zungri is a collection of stone caves carved into soft limestone cliffs alongside displays of everyday tools and objects. The caves once served as homes and storage spaces for people whose lives were tied to the hard terrain of this place.
The caves date from the Byzantine period, when residents sought protection from raids and transformed these natural formations into secure dwellings. The settlement continued to develop over centuries and remained inhabited into more recent times.
The displayed objects show how rural communities in Calabria lived and managed daily tasks over many generations. Visitors see tools and personal items that reveal the importance of farming and craftsmanship to these communities.
The site is located on Via Indipendenza in Zungri and is accessible on foot from the town center. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes as access to the caves involves uneven paths and stairs.
The caves are interconnected and show how residents arranged their living spaces in a complex network that maximized efficiency in daily life. These connections allowed people to remain sheltered during bad weather or danger.
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