The cave is the "common house" of the Mediterranean culture. The medieval caves - rupestrian houses and churches - which characterize the landscape of Puglia, in Southern Italy, Cappadocia, in Turkey, Andalucia Region in Spain, some Greek's islands and Loira Valley in France, represent the "micro-cells" of the rupestrian habitat. In spite of this there are lively studies about these kind of settlements, unfortunately the exchange of information among the Countries is poor. The project aims at recovering and spreading at European level the knowledge of the common historical, architectonic, economic and social culture born within the rupestrian settlements of the Mediterranean area to enhance and to involve new strategies of development for these, in term of respect and continuity in using.The project involved five Mediterranean States (Italy, Turkey, Greece, France, Spain) and is carried out by six partners: 5 Universities and one Onlus Association.Twelve main activities, are divided in two phases. The first is characterized by the census and survey of the rupestrian settlements in some particular areas of the Countries involved, using different approach and fields of research (architectural survey, new communication tools, landscape, physic and environmental study, urban geography). This phase will promote trasnational mobility between partners so as the exchange of different experience of research in rupestrian site and dissemination of common cultural heritage . The second phase consists in thematic meetings, in production of publications (guide-book, video documentary, cd-audio) and in dissemination of results by the foundation of a "Rupestrian Centre" in Italy and an annual "Rupestrian day", in order to promote the common culture and to emphasize the differences of this structured heritage and to increase the knowledge of the studied settlements, as means to develope global policies at European level for sustained maintenance of these buildings.