79th Anniversary of the Discovery of the Castellana Caves
On the morning of January 23, 1938, Professor Franco Anelli he appeared on the edge of the Grave, followed by Vito Matarrese, to descend to a depth of 70 meters, in total darkness, armed with a faint light and a lot of courage, finally finding himself before a scene of incomparable beauty.
Il 79th anniversary of the discovery of the Castellana Caves, Wonder of Puglia, will be celebrated as per tradition on January 23rd, at 11.30 am, with a Holy Mass officiated this year by the Bishop of the Diocese of Conversano-Monopoli, HE Monsignor Giuseppe Favale. To the suggestive Eucharistic Celebration in the Caverna della Grave Mayor Prof. Francesco Tricase will participate, representing the Municipal Administration, the Board of Directors of Grotte di Castellana srl led by the President Domi Ciliberti, the son of Franco Anelli, and a delegation of students from the primary schools of Castellana Grotte.
At the end, a speleologist from the “Puglia Caves Group” We will descend from the mouth of the Grave to relive the emotion felt by Professor Franco Anelli on that descent that changed the history of Castellana.
During the day, the Museum Franco Anelli will be open to visitors who wish to discover and learn more about the wonderful world of the Castellana Caves with the help of scientific and photographic materials.
In the evening, at 19.00 pm, at the Hall of Ceremonies of the Town Hall, the Municipality of Castellana Grotte and Castellana Caves will sponsor the presentation of the book "History of the Castellana Caves staff from discovery to the present day. More than seventy years of history of the Castellana Caves (1938-2015)." edited by Francesco Tinelli. Speakers will include the author, Mayor Prof. Francesco Tricase, the president of the Cave Society Domi Ciliberti and the local historian Domenico Bulzacchelli.
