Grotta di Matermania
On Gingerguide's self-guided Capri audio tour, Grotta di Matermania is a stop worth about ~30 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type ruins
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Capri Capri guide
About Grotta di Matermania
A large natural cave on Capri's eastern cliff, converted by the Romans into a nymphaeum (sacred grotto) with decorated walls and a mosaic floor, accessible on the cliff walk between the Natural Arch and the Belvedere di Tragara.
The Grotta di Matermania is a large natural cave at the top of the eastern cliff of Capri, converted by the Romans in the 1st century BC or AD into a nymphaeum, a grotto dedicated to the nymphs and used for religious rituals and entertainment. The cave is significant as one of the few intact Roman grottos surviving in southern Italy, preserving substantial remains of the Roman decorative programme: niches, mosaic floor fragments, and stucco decoration on the walls. The name Matermania is thought to derive from "Magna Mater", the Great Mother, a title given to the goddess Cybele, whose worship involved ecstatic rituals and was particularly popular in the Roman world during the Imperial period. The cave is accessible on the cliff walk between the Natural Arch and the Belvedere di Tragara, the path descends to the cave entrance by a series of steps. The cave is large enough to stand in and is illuminated by natural light from the entrance. The Roman-era decoration is fragmentary but significant: this was a place of genuine religious and social importance in the Roman Capri of Tiberius and Augustus.
Did you know? The cult of Cybele (Magna Mater) was adopted into the official Roman state religion in 204 BC, when the Senate voted to bring the goddess's sacred stone (a meteorite or black stone) from Phrygia to Rome to fulfil a prophecy that Hannibal would be defeated. The cult became one of the most widespread in the Roman Empire, and evidence of it has been found from Britain to the Middle East.
How much time do you need at Grotta di Matermania?
Around ~30 min works well for Grotta di Matermania — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Grotta di Matermania?
Yes — Grotta di Matermania made the cut as one of 15 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Capri. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Capri
Hear the story of Grotta di Matermania
Preview the Capri tour free in the Gingerguide app.