Toirano
Exploring the Toirano Caves
If you are looking for one of the most famous attractions in the province of Savona, you cannot miss the Toirano Caves. This system of limestone caves is composed of many cavities, but only two of them are open to visitors: the cave of Bàsura (or the Witch) and the cave of Santa Lucia Inferiore.
The cave of Bàsura is particularly important for the conservation of numerous remains of cave bears, who used the cave for hibernation. In addition, there are also many traces of human presence during the Upper Paleolithic, which make the visit even more interesting for archaeology enthusiasts.
The history of the Toirano Caves
The Toirano Caves have been open to the public since 1953, when the cave of Bàsura was discovered by a group of locals from Toirano. For many years, the tourist route was limited to this cave, before discovering the cave of Santa Lucia Inferiore in 1960. Since then, an artificial tunnel connects the two caves, creating a one-way path for visitors.
The tourist route of the Toirano Caves
During the visit to the Toirano Caves, you can admire some rooms that house beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, as well as splendid columns and mammary concretions. You can walk along the Corridor of Footprints, where the traces left on the floor by the first visitors to the cave 12,000 years ago are visible.
Other highlights of the visit include the Bear Cemetery, where the remains of many Ursus spelaeus who died during winter hibernation are preserved, and the Room of Mysteries, where you can see footprints on the clay floor, carbon marks on the walls and clay balls attached to the walls.
Finally, in the cave of Santa Lucia Inferiore, you can admire the Pantheon Room, which houses the largest concretion of the entire path, a column that reaches eight meters in height.
Conclusions
The Toirano Caves are a well-known tourist attraction in the Savona area for their beauty and important archaeological values. Visiting these caves is an experience not to be missed if you are in the area and want to discover a bit of history and natural beauty.
