The House with Underground Caverns

This is Domus Civita, a home in Italy built in the 14th century and purchased by new owners in 2011. Studio F remodeled the house, which consists of three floors above ground, but that's not all.

However the most interesting feature of the house was its umbilical connection to its underground world all carved into the soft volcanic tufa stone. Through a series of tunnels and caves dating from the middle ages as well as Roman and Etruscan times the house ground floor had a stair dug into the stone and reaching a large underground Roman water cistern still perfectly preserved. Through the cistern you could reach an abandoned garden suspended between 2 stone cliffs at the edge of town. From the garden more caves of Etruscan and medieval times were dug into the rock opening up interesting possibilities for creative uses.

The underground chamber was remodeled to include a meditation room, a wine cellar, and an art gallery. It opens to a garden (with a second kitchen) and pool. See lots more photos and floor plans of the finished masterpiece at Arch Daily.