This year marks the 78th anniversary of the discovery of the Castellana karst site and, as per tradition, several initiatives have been promoted and organised by the company Castellana Caves srl and Puglia Caves Group for next January 23th.
At 11.00 Padre Pio D'Andola will officiate the Holy Mass in the Grave, the first cave you encounter when descending into the fascinating underground world, where the professor Franco Anelli He descended on the very morning of January 23rd, followed by Vito Matarrese, immediately sensing the priceless discovery. To commemorate those courageous deeds, at the end of the Holy Mass, a speleologist will abseil from the mouth of the Grave, covering a distance of over 60 meters into the void until reaching the age-old calcite concretions.
Afterwards, speleologists—SSI or CAI members with their own equipment and insurance—will be able to descend into the tourist karst complex of Castellana through the natural entrance to the Grave, specially equipped for descent by speleologists from the Puglia Grotte Group. Speleologists descending by rope may only spend a minimum amount of time in the Grave cave. The event is sponsored by the Italian Speleological Society.
For all speleologists (SSI or CAI members) who would like to try their hand at discovering the lateral paths of the Castellana Caves, the Puglia Grotte Group has organised special visits for which it is essential to book by Friday 22 January at 8pm, by contacting Giampaolo Pinto at 3391306037.
For friends and relatives of speleologists participating in the Grave descent and interested in a tour of the Castellana Caves, please note that the reduced price is the result of an agreement between the Puglia Grotte Group and the Castellana Caves Society exclusively for this event.
The tour will take place on January 24th and tickets cost €8,00 for a partial tour and €12,00 for a full tour; children under 5 enter free.
Upon arrival, you will need to register at the Anelli Museum, where an event secretariat will be available to assist the ticket office.
The entry time for the visit will be communicated upon registration.
For any information, please call 0804998221.
