An event aimed at remembering and celebrating the discovery of the White Cave, retracing the steps of Vito Matarrese, a pioneer of local speleology who discovered what is considered the most beautiful of the caves in the Castellana underground system. “And it was splendor – 80 years of Grotta Bianca”, event that Sunday January 12 will engage the Castellana Caves for three different moments.
The morning will start at 11:00 at “Franco Anelli” Speleological Museum, where the greetings of the mayor of Castellana Grotte Francesco De Ruvo, of the president of Grotte di Castellana srl Victor Casulli and the institutional interventions of the authorities present will be followed by two in-depth analyses, one by Pino Pace, an expert on the history of the caves, and the other of Marco Matarrese, the speleologist's grandson, will focus on the discovery of the cave, described as the "most splendid in the world" due to the richness and whiteness of the alabaster. The discovery was made by Vito Matarrese, who, starting in 1938, worked alongside Franco Anelli throughout the initial phase of exploration of the caves, and subsequently continued on his own. The discussions will be moderated by Mediaset journalist Rossella Ivone.
The event will continue at 12:00 in the entrance hall to the karst site, where the bust created in honor of Vito Matarrese will be unveiled, and will conclude at 13:00 pm with refreshments at the nearby Taverna degli Amici.
The event will be part of an intense weekend of initiatives for the Castellana Caves, which, at the request of the board of directors composed of the president Victor Casulli, from the vice president Francesco Manghisi and the councilor Maria Lacasella, this year they will actively take part in the appointment with "The Fanóve" of Castellana Grotte and the celebrations in honor of Maria Santissima della Vetrana on the 329th anniversary of the miraculous liberation of the Castellana people from the plague. A large bonfire will warm the Anelli square on the evening of Saturday, January 11th starting at 20:00 PM, where the festive atmosphere will be framed by the popular music of the Happy Tammorra There will also be food and wine stands, where tourists can enjoy a free tasting upon presentation of their cave entrance ticket. Tours are scheduled at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, and 18:00.
As always, this year, on the occasion of the patron saint's day, on Sunday the 12th, guided tours along the karst trail will be free for Castellana residents. They can access the caves upon presentation of an identity document proving their residency in the municipality. Tours are scheduled at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00, and 16:00.
