Castellana Grotte

An incredible journey

Castellana Grotte

History

Located on the limestone plateau of the Terra dei Trulli and delle Grotte, it is known above all for the karst complex of the Caves. These arise less than two kilometers from the inhabited area in the south-eastern Murge at 330 m a.s.l., a limestone plateau formed in the Upper Cretaceous period approximately ninety-one hundred million years ago. The tourist visit winds for 1.5 km but the longest route takes two hours and develops for 3 km, between caves and chasms. The natural entrance is made up of a huge open pit, about sixty meters deep, called the Grave. From the Grave to the Black Grotto or the Capitoline Wolf, after passing the Cavernone dei Monumenti, passing the Calza and subsequently the Cavern of the Owl, crossing the Corridor of the Serpent, the Cavern of the Precipice and the Little Paradise, you pass through the long Corridor of the Desert also known as the underground Grand Canyon (of a reddish color due to the presence of iron ore in this stretch) you reach the Cave of the Tower of Pisa, the dripping pond, the Red Corridor, the Dome Cave and finally passing by the pond of Crystals, you reach the bright White Grotto. All made up of stalactitic and stalagmite concretions and galleries interspersed with the sudden opening of caves.

Monuments and Places of Interest:
  • Church of Pope Saint Leo I the Great, co-patron
  • Sanctuary of Maria SS della Vetrana
  • Church of Caroseno
  • Civic Tower or Clock Tower
  • Municipal Palace
  • Monument to the Fallen
  • Baronial Curia
  • Neviera di San Nicola di Genna
  • Specchia di Pozzo Stramazzo

Events, Traditions, and Folklore:

  • Le “Fanòve”
  • The April Festival
  • La Consolatrice
  • Caroseno Festival and Chicken and Rabbit Fair
Close
Close