A , Savona (Grotte di Toirano, Savona)
Grottoes of Troyan are located a few kilometers from the sea, in the Val Varatella area in the province of Savona. These grottoes consist of 150 caves, many of which have not yet been fully explored. Since 1953, some caves have been open to the public. In the Bàsura (witch's) cave you can see the skeleton of an ancient bear, while in the largest cave called the Pantheon you can see a huge stalagmite covered with stones, which is affectionately called the “pearl of the cave”. The cave tour ends at Tanone Cave, which was used as a shelter during air raids during World War II. Today it is used as a colorful concert stage.
Address: Via alle Grotte, Toirano, Savona
Giant Cave, Sgonico (Grotta del Gigante, Sgonico)
Giant Cave is the largest tourist grotto in the world. Located in Sgoniko, near Trieste. You can read more about the grotto.
Address: Località Borgo Grotta Gigante, 42/A, Sgonico (Trieste)
Grotta del Vento, Tuscany
Grotta del Vento is in national park"Apuan Alps" of Tuscany. A visit to the caves can last from one to three hours depending on the route you choose. There you can see stalagmites and stalactites, almost all living, i.e. in the growing phase. This grotto also has an adventure route accompanied by expert speleologists.
Address: Grotta del Vento - Vergemoli (LU)
Frasassi Cave, Marche (Grotta di Frasassi, Marche)
These caves have more than 13 kilometers of different routes. A tourist route, accessible to all tourists, has a length of 1.5 km. The walk lasts approximately 75 minutes. During it you can see small underground lakes, stalactites and stalagmites. The bravest and most resilient can choose more difficult routes: il percorso azzurro (the walk lasts 2.5 hours) and il percorso rosso (the walk lasts about 4 hours).
Address: Viale Giovanni Marinelli, San Vittore delle Chiuse, Genga (Ancona)
Grotte di Pastena, Frosinone
Grotte di Pastena located in the Monti Ausoni mountain range, in the province of Frosinone. During a walk through 10 caves you can see underground lakes, waterfalls, stalactites and stalagmites. The most colorful place in the caves is a lake called Lago Blu, into which a waterfall flows from a height of 10 meters.
Grotte di Stiffe, Abruzzo
Grotte di Stiffe are located in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo region. Part of the route through these caves is accompanied by an underground river, which periodically turns into waterfalls. The walk lasts about an hour.
Address: Via del Mulino, 2, Stiffe, San Demetrio ne" Vestini (L" Aquila)
CavesAngela, Campaign(Grotte dell'Angelo, Campania)
Angel Cave is located in the province of Salerno, in the town of Pertosa. These caves are already 35 million years old and still continue to surprise and delight visitors. For a walk, you can choose one of three routes of varying lengths.
Address: Località Muraglione 18/20 - Pertosa (SA)
Castellana Caves, White Grotto, Bari (Grotte di Castellana, Bari, Grotta Bianca)
Caves of Castellana in the province of Bari are among the most beautiful in Italy. A walk along them lasts about two hours. During this time you will walk about 3 kilometers.
Address: Piazzale Anelli, Castellana Grotte (BA)
Grotto of Zinzulusa, Lecce (Grotta della Zinzulusa, Lecce)
Dzinzuluza Grotto located in Lecce.
Address: Via Zinzulusa, Castro (Lecce)
Grotta di Su Mannau, Sardinia(Grotta di Su Mannau, Sardegna).
Grotta di Su Mannau located on the island of Sardinia, in the commune of Fluminimaggiore. It is more than 8 kilometers long and originated about 15 million years ago.
Address: Via Vittorio Emanuele 3, 09010 Fluminimaggiore, Sardegna
In 1938, another miracle of the Apennine Peninsula was discovered. And today the grottoes of Castellan, or karst cave Castellana are on a par with the most visited caves in Italy, created by nature itself.
The Castellana Grottoes are located at a depth of 60 (this is the vertical entrance to it) to 122 meters from the surface of the earth (for visiting - up to 72 meters) and at an altitude of 330 meters above sea level. The total length of the underground labyrinth is about three kilometers. Geographically, the attraction is located in the commune of Castelanna Grotte, part of the province of Bari. It, in turn, is an administrative unit of the Italian region of Apulia.
Description of Grotte di Castellana
A karst cave in Italy is considered the largest natural underground grotto. It consists of several halls of different shapes and sizes. These are the caves:
- La Grave, which means nothing more than the Abyss;
- Black;
- White - recognized as one of the most beautiful in the world;
- Owls;
- Capitoline Wolf;
- Dome;
- Madonnas;
- At the cliff;
- Leaning Tower of Pisa;
- Little paradise;
- Snake corridor, etc.
Here you can see fascinating stalactites and stalagmites, in some places connected into pillars, as well as fossils of various shapes, crystalline growths and absolutely fantastic colors, skillfully emphasized by special lighting. The temperature inside the caves is between 14-18 degrees Celsius. For the convenience of visitors, there are paths with stepped descents. 
Interestingly, the Castellan grottoes have their own fauna, including bats that are completely harmless to those present. Smaller species of living organisms have managed to adapt to a not entirely simple ecosystem. These are crustaceans, bugs and even grasshoppers.
IN different time the cave complex was visited by such celebrities as Aldo Moro and Luigi Einaudi, Gina Lollobrigida and Enrico Mattei. Eight feature films were filmed at Grotte di Castellana.
Grotte di Castellana: history of discovery
The famous caves of Italy have included the Castellana grottoes in their list since the first half of the last century, although the history of the cave goes back more than one million years. For a long period of time, the territory of modern Apulia was immersed in the abyss sea waters, so sediment accumulated here over thousands of years, eventually turning into a layer of limestone mixed with sand several kilometers thick. When, as a result of movements, the surface earth's crust rose above sea level, precipitation and ground currents gradually washed away the limestone in the weakest places. This led to certain splits and the appearance of cavities characteristic of caves. Residents of a nearby town avoided a gaping hole in the ground, which they called the gate to the abyss. Lost domestic and wild animals often fell into it and died, so a fetid odor emanated from inside. Why not the underworld?
A serious attempt to penetrate the Grotte di Castellana was made by local residents at the end of the 18th century. But the pioneers stopped a few meters from the huge, foul-smelling hole, not daring to go down. For future tourists, a karst cave in Italy called the Castellana Grottoes was discovered by an Italian speleologist, a native of Bari, Franco Anelli. This happened during a research expedition under his leadership in January 1938. It should be noted that today not all the secrets of the Castellana cave are known. The grottoes are still being explored and studied by specialists, so they remain partially closed to ordinary visitors. In 2000, the speleological museum opened its doors, named after the pioneer Grotte di Castellana - Franco Anelli. By the way, his bust is installed in one of the cave halls, above which is the same gaping hole. 
Visiting the cave: ticket prices and opening hours
Most of the complex is open to tourists all year round, but only organized groups accompanied by a guide (Italian, English, German, French) have access to the grottoes. There are currently two routes you can visit.
Italy can be called the country of caves. The caves of Italy amaze the imagination with their beauty and grandeur. With more than 10,000 officially registered caves, Italy is one of the largest countries in the world where caves are located not only in the mountains, but also in sea grottoes. In addition, many of the Italian caves are the very first in the world in any category: the largest, the deepest, with the largest stalactites and stalagmites.
Those , which are open to visitors, can usually be seen only on a guided tour, and it is not always necessary to make preliminary applications. Special illuminated walkways have been built inside most of these caves, and some include a series of stairs. The temperature inside the cave can be cold, so it is worth bringing warm clothes. In addition, it is recommended to come to the excursion in durable and comfortable shoes for walking.
Caves of Italy review
Frasassi Caves
The Grotte di Frasassi are among the most impressive caves in Italy. The excursion here is quite long, lasting 1 1/4 hours. During the excursion, tourists explore several halls with stalactites and stalagmites. The area of this unique natural object so large that Milan Cathedral (the largest Gothic cathedral in the world) could fit inside it. The Frasassi cave complex is located in central Italy, in the Marche region, 65 kilometers from the Italian port city of Ancona.
Grotta Gigante
Grotto Gigante, a giant cave that has been open to visitors for over a hundred years. This grotto was listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 1995 as the largest tourist cave in the world. The huge main hall of the cave can be reached by climbing the tunnel stairs up the mountain. There are many formations inside, including the Ruggiero Column, 12 meters high. The tour lasts only about one hour. The facility is located approximately 10 kilometers from the small Italian seaport of Trieste (can be reached by bus from the city center), in northeastern Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.
Underground caves of Italy Corchia
Monte Corchia, called the empty mountain, has one of the largest cave systems in Europe. The cave labyrinths are located in the Apuan Alps in the northern part of Tuscany, 16 kilometers from the resort town of Forte dei Marmi (Versilia coast), beloved by rich Russians. The two-hour tourist excursion covers almost two kilometers of the 70 kilometers underground labyrinths inside Corchia. It is believed that here are the most beautiful and spectacular stalactites and stalagmites in the world. The small underground lakes here are also very beautiful.
Monte Cucco Cave
Grotta di Monte Cucco is one of the deepest cave systems in the world. The total length of the system is 20 km, but only an 800-meter section is open to tourists. Caves of Italy very popular among tourists. In general, the tour includes a demonstration of three massive caves: Cattedrale, Sala Margherita, and Sala del Becco. The entrance to the cave is located near the very peak of the mountain, so for a visit to underground kingdom will initially require you to overcome a 27-meter height along an almost vertical ladder. Visitors can choose from three difficulty levels, two of which require early booking. Grotta di Monte Cucco is located in Umbria, in the Monte Cucco Park region.
Grotte di Stiffe
The river runs right through the Grotte di Stiffe, and inside there is beautiful waterfall. The best time to admire this beauty is in the spring. The cave also has many stalactites and stalagmites. The hour-long excursion covers 700 meters, and the stairs here are quite easy to navigate. Grotta di Stiffe is located in central Italy, in the Abruzzo region, approximately 17 kilometers southeast of L'Aquila.
Caves of Italy Grotte Di Castellana
Grotte Di Castellana is a large complex of caves with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites in a limestone plateau. One of the rooms open to visitors has a natural skylight. There is another unusual white cave here, which is called Grotta Bianca. Visitors can choose to tour the caves with a short or long route. Partial tours cover only one kilometer and last 50 minutes. While the full tour covers a route of three kilometers, lasting 2 hours. Grotte Di Castellana is located in south-eastern Italy, the Puglia region, 11 kilometers from the sea and 17 kilometers north of Alberobello.
Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto Grotta Azzurra, the most famous of Italy's sea caves, is the main attraction on the island of Capri. The refraction of sunlight in the cave creates an iridescent blue light in the water. The grotto has been in use since prehistoric times and was a favorite swimming pool of the Romans. During the reign of Emperor Tiberius, he had his own villas on the island. This grotto can only be visited by taking a boat tour.
Neptune's Grotto
Neptune's Grotte, or Neptune's Cave, is located just above sea level at the foot of a cliff, near Alghero on the island of Sardinia. The grotto is not always accessible for visiting, since at times when the sea is not calm, excursions are not conducted here. You can get to the grotto by taking a boat from Alghero or from the parking lot along a staircase of 654 steps carved into the rock. Visitors are guided along an illuminated path so they can see the many stalactites and stalagmites as well as the salt water lakes present in the cave.
Sassi or Cave in Matera
Matera, a small town in southern Italy, in the Basilicata region, has a fascinating area of caves built in a ravine. This amazing place has been inhabited by people for hundreds of years. Several rock churches are open to the public, and there are reproductions of typical cave houses that can be visited. Also, restaurants and hotels where you can relax were even made in the repaired caves.
If you are tired of the beaches of Italy, then you might like sea caves, where you can also swim and cool off on hot days. Italy has several spectacular sea caves that can be found all along the coast. From the popular Blue Grotto on the island of Capri, to the vast Palinuro cave system, these are some of the world's stunning natural wonders. So, 10 sea caves of Italy in the photo feed.
Blue Grotto, Capri
One of the secret and natural wonders of the world. It is called blue because the light reflects upward from the clear blue sea, illuminating the cave with a magical blue light. Today it is a popular attraction, and the cave was known to the Romans, as Roman structures and statues have been found in this area. It is interesting that the grotto has only one entrance from the sea, so you can only get to this beautiful blue cave by boat. The length of the cave is 56 meters and the width is 30 meters.
Grotto in Castro
A particularly beautiful karst cave in the sea, which is under special protection. The limestone topography of the area gives the cave a unique and subtle eco-system above and below sea level, and the colors of the area are breathtaking.
Blue Grotto, Taormina
On the island of Belle, close to Taormina in Sicily, there is another blue grotto, very popular with local residents, however, it is still not open to tourists like the blue grotto in Capri. 
Neptune's Grotto, Alghero
Discovered in the 18th century by local fishermen, Neptune's Grotto is part of a cave system that stretches for 4 km, including the underwater Nereo Cave, which is visited every year by thousands of scuba divers. Neptune's Grotto is accessible on foot and is an illuminated cave with spectacular stalactites, stalagmite formations and of course the amazing sea. 
Grotto dello Poesie, Roca Vecchia, Salento
Legend has it that a beautiful princess loved to swim in the beneficial waters of the cave, and her beauty was so magnificent that news quickly spread throughout Puglia. Legions of poets from all over southern Italy flocked to the area to follow the news, gathering in this place to write poems inspired by its natural beauty. The large karst cave behind the cliff in Roca is the place to get some inspiration. The walls are covered with inscriptions in ancient Greek and Latin. 
Blue Grotto Marino, Cala Gonone, Sardinia
This place is very popular among tourists due to its accessibility and vastness. Blue water is everywhere, you can walk along the constructed bridges from hall to hall, enjoying the cool air and water. You will get a lot of impressions from this place. 
Sea caves of Cape Gargano, Puglia
This is a whole complex of caves: “Cave of Two Eyes”, “Cave of Tomatoes”, “Smugglers Cave” and many others different caves. Each of the caves in this complex has something special, something that distinguishes them from each other. Maybe it's the splendor of the flowers. This is an entire area of unidentified treasures, natural wonders, where the caves are some of the most beautiful in all of Italy. 
Sea caves of Palinuro
Tyrrhenian Sea at Cape Palinuro, Salerno is home to Italy's most extensive cave system. Thousands of diving enthusiasts flock to the huge underwater caves for exciting snorkeling, but the above-water caves are just as exciting. 
Emerald Grotto, Sardinia
A small but very pretty Sardinian grotto, the cave is illuminated by the emerald green of the waters around the island. If you are in those parts, then you should definitely visit this place, but the visit can be very short, because a large number of tourists come here, and they all want to visit the cave. 
Blue Grotto on Cavoli Beach, Elba Island
On an idyllic quiet beach Cavoli on the island of Elba is home to the Blue Grotto. The cave is located 600 meters from the sandy shore and can be reached by water moped or small boat. Not the most exciting grotto on the list, but the good thing about it is that there are few tourists here and it has an air of mystery about it! 
Fondo Casella, discovered near San Pietro a Maida. People have lived here for several historical periods.
The image of a bull, made by the hand of a prehistoric man at the entrance to the cave of Rom Ito (Papasidero, province of Cosenza), 19 thousand years ago (Paleolithic) is considered the most famous artifact of this kind in Europe. All the walls here are covered with similar drawings, but none of them can compete with the “bull” in accurately depicting the anatomical structure of the animal.
In the center of the Sibari valley, amazing finds of the Neolithic era (VI millennium BC) were made. Objects discovered by archaeologists in the area of Lamezia and in the burial grounds of Caria di Girifalco, as well as fragments of ceramics from the caves of Sant'Angelo near Cassano Ionio, date back to approximately the same period. In the Grotto of the Madonna (Praia a Mare), in the Upper Grotto (Romito), in the cave of Manca (Papasidero), other evidence of the presence of prehistoric man was discovered. The ancient historians Strabo, Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Diodorus mention the tribes of the Iapidae, Italians and Oenoters, who inhabited Calabria from the 17th to the 8th centuries BC. Then there ruled here a chief, or king, named Italo (this male name is still often found in the south of the country), Various chroniclers (including Aristotle) attribute the legendary ruler either to the Oenotri or to the Siculi, but they are all unanimous in the opinion that Italo founded an ethnopolitical state structure in the south of the Apennine Peninsula. It was period of fruitful trade relations Calabrians with the peoples living in Sicily and the Aeolian Islands. Around the same time, the legendary Trojans, who wandered after the defeat of their native city throughout the Mediterranean, landed on the Calabrian shores. The landing is confirmed by discoveries made in Borgo di Trebisace, in Francavilla Maripima, in Praia a Mara, in Santa Domenica di Ricadi and not far from Tropea, Homer mentions in the Odyssey the Calabrian city of Temeza. Athena talks about it, infiltrating the palace of the king of Ithaca under the guise of Mentes, the son of king Anchial, the ruler of the “fun-loving Taphians ", He talks about how he brought his ship to Ithaca, "... traveling on the dark sea to the peoples of a different language..." and wants to "... get copper in the Thames, exchanging shiny iron for it...”. It has already been proven that such a settlement really existed on the territory of ancient Calabria and was located between the Amsato and Korace rivers.
The authorities of the Greek city-states supported further expansion in every possible way. Volunteers seeking to found a new colony were supplied with money and ships. Having received the prophecy of the oracle (usually the Delphic one) and having chosen a noble leader, they set off on their journey. The choice of location for the new city was determined by its convenience, the availability of fresh water and the instructions of the oracle.
The Greeks quite peacefully integrated into the life of the indigenous population of the Apennine Peninsula. Their culture, which was more high level, influenced further development southern Italy. In the science and art of the ancient Mediterranean, such natives of Magna Graecia as Pythagoras, Herodotus and Protagoras are known.
Colonies formed allied coalitions with local residents. This is how the Alleates, Lucan, Brutsian and Syracuse unions of cities appeared, which later entered into a single League under the patronage of the goddess Hera of Lucan.
The decline of Magna Graecia begins with the fact that the Italic tribes began to unite with other peoples, for example, with the Lucanians or Brettians. In 111 B.C. South part Italy, including Calabria, became part of the Roman Republic. But it is surprising that such a powerful ancient culture did not leave behind any significant traces, in comparison with Greek civilization. Almost all the few finds dating back to the Roman period in the history of Calabria are collected in several local museums.
Among the architectural heritage we can mention the ruins of the theater in Gioiosa lonica and the ruins of villas in Pian delle Vigne, in Casignana Bianco.
It was only during the reign of Emperor Augustus that Calabria was finally assigned the status of a province of the Roman Empire, which was named Lucania and Brutium. The Romans brought many innovations to the life of the remote region and, above all, the legal system.
Calabria gradually became trade bridge between Rome, Africa and the Middle East. During this period, new cities appeared, and old Greek ones were renamed in the Latin manner: Vibo Valentia, Regium Iulium, Blanda. The mountains in the vicinity of Cosenza remember the campaigns of the soldiers of Spartacus, when the Bruci joined the rebellious slaves, and the streets of Reggio witnessed the expulsion of the dissolute sister of Emperor Augustus.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, times of decline began. Little has survived from the barbarian times of the dominance of the Goths, Visigoths and Lombards. Perhaps the old legend about the treasures in the tomb of Alaric, securely covered by the waters of the Busento River.
With its appearance in the 6th century. The Byzantines in Calabria begin their period of economic and cultural upsurge. The southern Italian possessions, fragmented by the Lombards, are united under the banner of the County of Benevento (province of Cosenza). In the Ionian part of Calabria there arise one after another settlements oriented towards the culture of the East. Monuments of architecture and art of the Byzantine period are best preserved in the cities of Stilo, Rossa and San Severina.
Thanks to the Byzantine monks, who fled from the devastated Constantinople from Muslim persecution and found safe refuge in the territory of Calabria, Christianity was preserved here. But for five centuries the coastal lands of the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas were regularly attacked by Arabs. The Calabrians called all invaders, for example, the Turks, Arabs. Frequent attacks by restless maritime neighbors forced local residents to move their homes to mountainous areas, leaving the inhabited coasts. During these times, a chain of watchtowers was built on the banks, giving the landscape a menacing look.
The Calabrian epic is rich in colorful legends about wrestling local population turrets. One of them talks about a traitor who sold himself to the Turks, who appointed him commander of their fleet. He robbed and destroyed his hometowns. To force his fellow countrymen to pay the ransom set by the pirates, the traitor did not even stop at stealing a small child.
There is a legend about how the famous Turkish pirate Barbarossa kidnapped a little boy from the city of La Castella. The kid, who received the Muslim name Ullachi-Ali, eventually became an admiral and commanded the left wing of the Turkish fleet at the Battle of Lepanto. The Norman rulers returned relative calm to the Calabrian lands, giving a fitting rebuff to the pirates. Once again, the inhabitants of southern Italy experienced the influence of an alien culture. Now Latin was accepted as the official language state language, and old Greek was considered illegal. During this period, many Catholic monasteries appeared, among which the monasteries in Serra San Bruno and San Giovanni in Fiore are especially famous. The cathedral in Gerace is considered a brilliant example of the architecture of the Norman period, in addition, it is worth noting such monuments as the cathedral in Umbriatico and the church of St. Demetrius in Corona.
Following the Normans, the Suevi (Germanic tribes) became interested in Calabria, then the Angevins and Aragonese. But neither the Spanish-Moorish nor the French culture left significant traces here. And yet it is necessary to note such monuments as the Gothic church of Santa Maria in Altomonte, the cathedral in Tropea, the facade of the Certosa in the city of Serra, the cathedral in Montalto Uffugo, the Aragonese castle in Reggio, the castles in Pizzo and Belvedere Marittimo.
[
