An intense week of preparatory activities to welcome tourists back to the Castellana Caves (Ba) is about to end and we are proceeding at a rapid pace towards the opening (scheduled for July 1st but which could be brought forward to the weekends of the second half of June) with the final details regarding the necessary safety measures being finalized.
Professor confirms that we are moving in the right direction. Pier Luigi Lopalco, responsible for coordinating epidemiological emergencies of the Puglia region, who visited the caves this morning, Thursday 11 June, accompanied by the Board of Directors of the Castellana Caves srl (President Victor Casulli, vice president Francesco Manghisi and advisor Maria Lacasella), together with the mayor of Castellana Grotte Francesco De Ruvo, to the municipal councilor for tourism Gianni Filomeno, to the advisor for relations with parliament and local authorities of the President of the Puglia Region Dominic De Santis, to the professor Alessandro Reina, scientific director of the Castellana Caves, to Dr. Caterina Binetti, General Secretary of the Municipality of Castellana Grotte, the cave staff, and representatives of the workers' unions. The aim of the visit was to establish, with greater scientific knowledge, the measures to be adopted for a safe reopening to protect visitors and workers. “This type of cave does not present any particular critical issues because the spaces are very large – Professor Lopalco declared following the inspection – and, therefore, what might be a concern in other types of excursions and more confined spaces, is not present in the Castellana area. This morning, there was much discussion about how to best manage the influx and outflow of visitors, so that they can enjoy the spectacle in peace without creating crowds inside the cave.
Professor Lopalco's visit is just one of the events that have engaged the board of directors, technicians, and staff of Grotte di Castellana srl in recent days, during which all attention has been focused on reopening the karst site to tourists with appropriate precautions, but without losing sight of the importance of offering a pleasant experience. Among other activities, on Saturday, June 6th, on the occasion of the World Day of Caves and the Underground WorldThe Board of Directors, safety technicians, and workers took part in an exploratory descent, during which, after three months, the caves were revealed in all their splendor. The primary purpose of the descent was to assess the compliance of the protective devices adopted for workers and visitors along the route.
