Castelcivita
The caves of Castelcivita: a karst treasure
Hello everyone! Today I will talk about the beautiful caves of Castelcivita, a complex of karst caves located in the municipality of Castelcivita, in the province of Salerno.
History
These caves, also known as the "Caves of Spartacus", owe their name to the famous Roman gladiator who, according to popular narration, would have stayed in these cavities during his fight against Rome. However, this story cannot be confirmed.
The discovery
The first exploration of the caves dates back to the distant 1889, when two young brothers from Controne, Giovanni and Francesco Ferrara, decided to explore the complex. After about 300 meters of walking, the brothers were trapped in an area of the cave for 6 days. It was only thanks to rescuers that the two brothers were able to return home, but unfortunately only one of them survived.
Continuation of explorations
After this tragic event, it took about 40 years before someone returned to explore the caves. It was only in 1920 that a pharmacist from Castelcivita, Nicola Zonzi, decided to carry out a preliminary exploration of the cavities. Following his report, mapping activities of the caves were carried out by speleologists. In the 1920s and 1930s, the caves welcomed their first visitors, which led to the enlargement and adaptation of the main entrance.
Natural aspects
The caves of Castelcivita are particularly rich in stalactites and stalagmites of a thousand shapes, which have been shaped by water over millennia. These are due to the presence of water on the walls of the caves, which gradually deposits limestone, giving rise to these particular conformations.
Cultural and archaeological aspects
But the caves of Castelcivita are also important from a cultural and historical point of view. Following some findings in 1972, archaeological excavation campaigns were conducted by Paolo Gambassini of the University of Siena from 1975 to 1988 and then resumed in 2016, in collaboration with the Archaeological Superintendence of Campania. These activities have allowed for the discovery of several artifacts, including evidence of occupation by Homo neanderthalensis, whose disappearance in this region has been dated to 40,000 years ago.
Location
The caves of Castelcivita are located on the right bank of the Calore Lucano River, about 300 meters from the Paestum Bridge. The caves are open to visitors every day, where speleology experts lead tourists on a guided tour of about two hours, through the various halls and passages of the caves to admire these natural wonders.
I highly recommend visiting the caves of Castelcivita, a magical place where nature and history merge into a unique beauty.
