Grotta di Matermania
Capri
Hidden gemNature
The story
A great cave that the Romans turned into a nymphaeum, with niches and traces of stucco facing the dawn, perhaps consecrated to the Magna Mater from which it takes its name.
Access
FREE (path)
The story
The Grotta di Matermania is a great natural cavity on the south-eastern side of Capri, which the Romans turned into a sumptuous nymphaeum. The name derives from Cybele, the Magna Mater to whom the place was dedicated in the Augustan or Tiberian age. Rites were celebrated there in the half-light of the rock.
What to see
The wide grotto, about thirty metres high and deep, with the remains of the Roman structures: the semicircular platforms, the marble facings, the masonry couches. An evocative and shady place along the path of the Natural Arch, where nature and archaeology merge.
How to get there
- Hydrofoil
- Ferry
Hours and prices
Free entry.
Tips
It is reached on foot along the path of the Natural Arch, with steps and stretches downhill and a climb back on the return: suitable shoes. It is in the open and freely accessible along the route. To be combined with the Natural Arch and the belvedere of Tragara.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Grotta di Matermania?
A great natural grotto of Capri turned by the Romans into a nymphaeum dedicated to Cybele, the Magna Mater; it keeps the remains of the Roman structures.
How do you reach it?
On foot along the path of the Natural Arch, with steps and downhill stretches; it is freely accessible along the route.
What can you see in the grotto?
The semicircular platforms, the marble facings and the masonry couches of the Roman nymphaeum, in the half-light of the cavity.
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