The Franco Anelli Museum
Il museum speleologico
FRANCO ANELLI MUSEUM
Il Speleological Museum of the Castellana Caves was inaugurated on On 23 January 2000, on the 62nd anniversary of the discovery of the karst system, and is named after Franco Anelli (1899–1977), the speleologist from Lodi who discovered, studied and described the Castellana Caves, making a decisive contribution to their scientific and touristic development.
More than just an explorer, Anelli was also a tireless popularizer and passionate director of the site. His vision was to make visiting the caves an experience of knowledge and wonder. This spirit inspires the museum, conceived as a walk through the pages of the "book of caves": a clear and fascinating journey into “cave science,” as he himself loved to call it.
The project and management of the educational-exhibition path are entrusted to the Puglia Caves Group, the speleological association of Castellana Grotte founded in 1971, which operates on behalf of the Grotte di Castellana company.
The museum offers an educational experience designed for everyone: enthusiasts, students, and curious visitors. It's an opportunity to delve deeper into speleology, karst, and the geological evolution of the area, through illustrated panels, scientific materials, and artifacts.
The Museum is housed in a building designed in 1952 by architect Pietro Favia (1895–1972), a historic structure that today represents not only a cultural attraction for visitors but also a leading center for speleological research in Puglia. Alongside the exhibition, the museum houses the "Franco Orofino" Apulian Speleological Documentation Center, the official headquarters of the Apulian Speleological Federation. It houses a speleology-themed library, a specialized newspaper library, and a rich photographic archive—valuable resources for scholars, enthusiasts, and professionals in the field. This section of the museum strengthens the link between the karst site and the scientific community, consolidating the role of the Castellana Caves as a hub for research, conservation, and dissemination in the Italian speleological landscape.
Franco Anelli
Il Franco Anelli Speleological Museum is today one of the main destinations of school tourism in Puglia, thanks to an increasingly rich and structured educational offering. In recent years, hundreds of students have visited it as part of training courses that integrate guided tours, scientific workshops and speleotourism in the lateral branches of the Castellana Caves.
The educational workshops offered were born from Franco Anelli's original idea: to spread knowledge of the natural subsoil, especially in schools, through effective and accessible illustrations of the geological, physical, biological, and anthropogenic phenomena that occur or have occurred over time within the underground world.
The activities range across different areas: astronomy, speleology, biospeleology, geology, ecology, cave scienceEach workshop is designed to stimulate curiosity, enhance learning, and introduce young people to scientific topics often excluded from traditional teaching.
The Museum also offers interactive workshops and specific lessons, both in the classroom and in the cave, which complement the curriculum with innovative and multidisciplinary educational tools.