Apart from the famous Sassi di Matera, Basilicata isn’t a major region for tourism, but it holds a very special hidden gem. In the province of Potenza, 20km from the capital, a small town called Pietragalla is home to some unique structures not seen in the rest of Italy.

Tiny, whimsical white stone houses pop out of the earth like mushrooms. They look like hobbit homes, built into the earth and covered by grass and soil, and with no other adornment besides a simple wooden door. These are the palmenti, the charming stone structures that were once wine cellars for the local Pietragallese of centuries past.