From the Land of Freedom to the Ancient Italian Cave: A Family's Remarkable Journey

Sign up for CNN Travel's Unlocking Italy newsletter to discover insider tips about Italy's most beloved destinations and hidden gems for planning your perfect trip. Additionally, get in the mood for your adventure with movie recommendations, reading lists, and recipes from Stanley Tucci. Explore the charming island off the coast of Rome where locals have been residing in cozy grottoes for centuries.

The coast and fishing village of Ponza, the largest island in the Pontine archipelago located between Rome and Naples, feature numerous cave dwellings carved into the rugged cliffs by the sea. These unique dwellings provide breathtaking views and remain cool in the summer and warm in the winter, eliminating the need for heating or air conditioning. Considered the island's precious gem, they have gained popularity among vacationers.

have maintained their cultural heritage by preserving their traditional housing style, even in a foreign country.

The Avellino family had one member who decided to emigrate. Luigi Avellino, the pioneer of his family, departed from Ponza at the start of the 20th century. Initially, he traveled between the island and New York before eventually establishing permanent residence in the United States.

Following in his father's footsteps, Attilio Avellino, born on Ponza and one of nine children, joined him in the city of New York in 1946.

But now, after decades in the US, their descendants are back on the island - living inside their old casa grotta (cave home), which theyve renovated to a modern standard.

Homes sculpted from the rock

Brigida Avellino and Loredana Romano have swapped the US for their ancestral 'cave home' on Ponza.

Loredana Romano, 44, lives with her mother Brigida Avellino, 70, in a stunning cave home in the charming town of Ponza. The home boasts striking thick whitewashed walls and a terrace offering breathtaking views of the picturesque Palmarola island. The furniture, including couches, chairs, benches, stairs, beds, tables, and cupboards, is all intricately carved from within the cave itself.

Romano tells CNN Travel that these caves hold immense significance as they are deeply ingrained in our DNA and cultural heritage. In the past, whenever a newborn came into the family, the parents would excavate additional chambers within the cliff, steadily expanding their cave dwelling. In 1980, the younger generations relocated to Ponza when Attilio Avellino suffered a heart attack while residing in New York. Attilio's doctor in New York advised him to seek the pure, unpolluted air and a tranquil environment for better health, prompting the family to return to his place of birth.

The cave has a terrace with views over nearby islands.

Loredana Romano

Avellino has fond memories of her childhood in the US. While Ponza offers a slower-paced lifestyle, she misses the Big Apples hectic world.

"I've discovered that although you can remove a girl from the bustling city, the essence of the city remains ingrained within her. It persists, even though I've been residing in Ponza for several decades now," she remarks.

Avellino accompanied her mother to New York in 1955 when she was merely two years old. At that time, her father, grandfather, uncles, and aunts were already established there, both in their livelihoods and residences.

Avellino now reminisces about his 22-year tenure in a bustling steel factory, where he thrived amidst the energetic chaos, incessant traffic, and the constant buzz of people hustling to work at all hours.

Her father and grandfather engaged in various occupations upon arriving in the US, encompassing running a fishery, serving on container ships, preparing tantalizing Italian dishes, and constructing towering skyscrapers.

The cave has been recently restyled.

Loredana Romano

"Label me insane, but I genuinely long for the pulsating rhythm of New York. In the past, I would spend my weekends exploring the city, hopping on trains, watching movies with friends, dining out, visiting the hair salon, and simply strolling around. I still yearn for that vibrant city energy," remarks Avellino. Speaking about Ponza, she remarks that there are no hair salons during winter.

Irrespective of her age and worsening health problems, she expresses her desire to return and relive the excitement of New York City's frenzied and proactive lifestyle, which introduced her to countless individuals.

Avellino expresses, "NYC offered me numerous opportunities for both personal experiences and professional growth. It was a thrilling and dynamic lifestyle."

"I long for everything that the Big Apple has to offer: the vibrant work culture, the bustling traffic, and the constant noise. The energy of the steel factory's buzz and the fast-paced atmosphere of the supermarkets, where I used to work, kept me constantly on my toes. Ponza is undeniably beautiful, with its breathtaking panorama, but it lacks the liveliness and hustle that NYC provided."

During summer, the islands population rises to over 20,000 people, with swarms of beachgoers flocking to Ponzas enchanting beaches. However, in winter, the number of residents dwindles to barely 1,000 in Le Forna district, which is where Avellino and Romano reside. This district is the most unconventional neighborhood, located far from the touristy areas and still inhabited by Ponzas oldest families.

Culture clashes

Their home was sculpted from the rock by their ancestors.

Ponza natives sustain themselves through farming, fishing, and predominantly seasonal tourism. According to Romano, the island thrives from June to October, while the rest of the year is characterized as quiet and inactive.

Avellino, expressing a stronger sense of American identity than Ponzese, expresses her satisfaction with having received an American education and possessing an American passport, both of which she keeps in her bedside closet.

In reality, Avellino admits feeling dismayed when circumstances compelled her to return to Ponza after her father's heart attack. While on Ponza, she encountered her eventual husband, Silverio - a born and raised Ponzese - and subsequently gave birth to Loredana, who maintained connections with relatives in the United States.

Whenver a new child was born, the cave dwellers dug out a new room from the cliff.

Loredana Romano

From the ages of 20 to 30, Loredana Romano frequently traveled between the US and Ponza. During this time, she worked as a waitress at one of her aunt's restaurants in Florida. Presently, she takes great pride in residing in the cave home her great-grandfather personally carved out of the cliff.

Shes now on a mission to recover her ancestral origins.

They bought a cheap home in Italy. Then they bought another

Romano says, "I have recently beautifully renovated this cave that I inherited. It was built by my great-grandpa before he left for the US for work. He wasn't necessarily a migrant for economic reasons, and he wasn't poor either. He simply desired a change in life and sought new opportunities across the Atlantic."

Situated in the most picturesque location of Ponzas, the cave dwelling spans an area of 860 square feet and offers panoramic views of two natural sea pools nestled amidst white granite cliffs. With direct access to the crystal-clear waters, it provides an ambiance reminiscent of a tropical paradise.

The living room features an old well used in the past as a cistern to collect rainwater, which Romano still exploits when theres little running water during summer.

Ponza goes from being 'dead' in winter to packed in summer.

Image Professionals GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo

She renovated the exterior of the caves this year and also created a small garden and vegetable patch, where she grows eggplants and zucchini. She utilizes these ingredients to prepare local dishes. Unlike her mother Romano, who is employed in the tourism industry in Ponzas, she does not long for the American way of life.

"In the Italian neighborhood where I resided in Florida, I experienced the genuine kindness of Americans who consistently greeted each other. However, living in a bustling metropolis surrounded by countless unfamiliar faces made me feel remarkably isolated and lonelier than if I were on a deserted island," she states.

Brigida Avellino says she misses New York.

Loredana Romano

According to her perspective, Americans prioritize work over everything else. They lack the time to visit the supermarket and purchase fresh groceries or to enjoy meaningful moments with friends and family. Instead of cooking at home, they prefer dining out, she claims.

On the contrary, Ponza, a small island, provides Romano with a sense of security. The residents look after each other, supporting one another in both difficult and joyful times.

"Here, when there is good news, like a wedding or birth, the entire neighborhood parties, were a big family. When theres a funeral, were all sad."