The following article shows a list of caves in Italy .
The following article shows a list of caves in Italy .
Main concentration of Italian caves (Italian : grotte, singular: grotta) is close to the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, principally due to karst. [1] The Italian caves attract around 1.5 million tourists every year. [2]
The main Italian tourist caves are Castellana Caves and Frasassi Caves. Other notable show caves are Borgio Verezzi Caves, Castelcivita Caves, Grotta del Cavallone, Grotta Gigante, Grotta di Ispinigoli, Neptune's Grotto, Pastena Caves, Pertosa Caves, Grotta dello Smeraldo and Toirano Caves.
Other notable Italian caves are Grotto Calgeron, Ear of Dionysius, Grotta del Gelo, Paglicci Cave, Grotta dell'Addaura, Arene Candide, Fumane Cave, Nereo Cave and Blue Grotto.
The caves are listed by alphabetical order and there are shown the main tourist caves and other notable (e.g. archaeological or paleontological) underground voids.
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The Blue Grotto is a sea cave on the coast of the island of Capri, southern Italy. Sunlight shining through an underwater cavity is reflected back upward through the seawater below the cavern, giving the water a blue glow that illuminates the cavern. The cave extends some 50 metres (160 ft) into the cliff at the surface, and is about 150 metres (490 ft) deep, with a sandy bottom.
Ponza is the largest island of the Italian Pontine Islands archipelago, located 33 km (21 mi) south of Cape Circeo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is also the name of the commune of the island, a part of the province of Latina in the Lazio region.
A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits.
Pertosa is a village and comune of the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-west Italy. In 2010 its population was 714.
Neptune's Grotto is a stalactite cave near the town of Alghero on the island of Sardinia, Italy. The cave was discovered by local fishermen in the 18th century and has since developed into a popular tourist attraction. The grotto gets its name from the Roman god of the sea, Neptune.
The Castellana Caves are a karst cave system located in the municipality of Castellana Grotte, in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy.
The Frasassi Caves are a karst cave system in the municipality of Genga, Italy, in the province of Ancona, Marche. They are among the most famous show caves in Italy.
The Grotta delle Felci is a cave located on the island of Capri, in Campania, Italy.
Addaura is a seaside village or Frazione of Palermo, Italy included in the VII District. It resides on the Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo, which starts from the south-east border of Mondello and reaches Palermo bypassing Monte Pellegrino.
The Grotta del Ninfeo is an artificial cavity in the rock of Temenite Hill located in the Archaeological park of Neapolis in Syracuse.
The Cave of Dogs is a cave near Naples, Italy. Volcanic gases seeping into the cave give the air inside a high concentration of carbon dioxide. Dogs held inside would faint; at one time this was a tourist attraction.
The Grotta del Cavallo or Cavallo Cave is a limestone cave in the region of Apulia, Southern Italy, near Nardò 90 km (55.92 mi) south of Taranto. The cave is about 15 m (49 ft) above present sea level. It has a rounded entrance, 5 m (16.40 ft) wide and 2.5 m (8.20 ft) high opening toward the sea. The cave was rediscovered in 1960 and two waves of excavations ensued. The first wave spanning from 1963 to 1966 and the second from 1986 to 2008. The cave was disturbed by looters during the period between the two waves of excavations, damaging the layers corresponding to the Upper Palaeolithic; because of this, the cave entrance is covered by a gate and is closed to the public.
The Deer Cave is a natural cave at the Salento coast near the town of Porto Badisco, around 8 km (5.0 mi) south of Otranto in Apulia, Italy. Unknown before 1970, it came to immediate international attention after the discovery of its impressive, innovative and enigmatic complex galleries of prehistoric parietal wall paintings.
Grotta Regina del Carso is a Karst cave in the village of San Michele del Carso in the municipality of Savogna d'Isonzo. The cave is not open to public, and the access is managed by Talpe del Carso/Kraški Krti speleological group, headquartered in the vicinity of the entrance.
Abisso Bonetti is a Karst cave in the municipality of Doberdò del Lago, 1 km (0.62 mi) SE from the small village of Bonetti, near Slovenian border. The cave is one of the most famous cavities in the Gorizia Karst. Anyway, due to its dangerous pit opening, entry is allowed only to expert cavers with the necessary equipment for single-rope descend.
Grotta dell'Artiglieria is a karst cave in the municipality of Doberdò del Lago. The cave is located NE of Doberdob Lake, near the top of a small hill, in the small village of Jamiano. The name is referred to the artillery battery set in the cave during World War I.
Grotta del Gelo is a volcanic cave of Mount Etna which is known for the presence of a large amount of ice. The cave formed in 1614–1624 during a large eruption of the volcano, inside one of the lava flows produced during that eruption. Within the two subsequent decades, ice grew and accumulated in the cave. Today it is a tourist destination.
Ciolo is a narrow coastal inlet and a site of historical and environmental interest, which is located in the south of Apulia, in the historical region of Salento, Italy. The location is also known as a geological site and for the presence of numerous sea caves, the largest one being the Grotta del Ciolo. Since October 2006 the Ciolo's area has become part of the Regional Park "Costa Otranto - Santa Maria di Leuca e Bosco di Tricase", created by the Apulia region to protect the eastern coast of Salento, specifically the architectural assets as well as important animal and plant species.
The Goats Cave is a cliff-side cave located in San Felice Circeo, Italy.
