Christmas in the Caves, second edition

The rich array of Christmas events, enriched by religious celebrations and dotted with major concerts featuring the big names in Italian music

Castellana Grotte, 27 November 2014 – A few days to go until the start of the second edition of “Christmas in the Caves”, which this year is enriched with unmissable events thanks to the big names of the Italian music scene. From December 6, 2014 to January 12, 2015, in fact, the splendid setting of the Caverna della Grave will host concerts, shows and religious events of great importance and emotional impact.

It will be the suggestive "Hell in the Cave”, the largest underground aerial show in the world inspired by the Inferno of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, sold out at all performances, to kick off the intense Christmas program on December 6th. This will be followed, on December 7th, by the Radicanto, a historic Bari-based band founded in 1996 by the musician Giuseppe De Trizio, accompanied, for this sublime performance in the depths of the Earth, by the Neapolitan singer and actor Gennaro Della Volpe, aka Root, with which they will weave North African, Middle Eastern, Asian rhythms, passing through the revisitation of Italian and Neapolitan songs. And again, he will delight the lucky audience with his timeless songs and his unmistakable voice, the great Gino Paoli that Saturday, December 13th, together with Danilo Rea will perform “Due come noi che…”, a truly unmissable concert that promises unforgettable thrills. Sunday, December 14th will see the inauguration of “Nativity scenes in caves", the fascinating thirty-minute tour to discover the three nativity scenes installed in the Grave, the Caverna della Lupa, and the Caverna dei Monumenti. In the latter, the eclectic artists Marino de Tomaso and Rosaria Genco for The Company of Rejects, will create a work inspired by the Canticle of the Creatures, with references to the four elements, a means through which to convey a message that is once again rich in meaning for adults and children. The nativity scenes will be open to visitors on the days and at the times indicated, until January 12, 2015 inclusive. On December 16 and 18, students from the schools will perform.Tauro-Viterbo" is "Angiulli-De Bellis” while, on Saturday 20th, another great voice of Italian singer-songwriter will grace the natural stage of the Grave to give great emotions. The beloved Nothing accompanied by the guitarist of Avion Travel, Fausto Mesolella, in fact, will delight us with his unique timbre and his most famous songs, offering a taste of new musical experiences. Sunday the 21st, a free event, but no less important. The large entrance to the caves will host one of the largest and most acclaimed internationally renowned choirs, the Russian State Humanitarian University, founded in 1912 and today directed by the famous M° Boris TarakanovTuesday 23 December, another religious appointment with the "Nativity in the Grotto", a torchlight procession that will accompany the Baby Jesus, placed on a cart carried by a donkey and accompanied by the faithful, bagpipers, and prayers, to the mouth of the Grave, where a speleologist will lower him seventy meters, then placing him between Mary and Joseph, the life-sized nativity scene that symbolizes every family in the world. This will be followed by Holy Mass celebrated by the Archpriest Don Leonardo Mastronardi, and cheered by the songs of the choir of the Schola cantorum Castellana Grotte. More great encounters in this long Christmas program, which includes, on Boxing Day, a sparkling concert by the original and hilarious group "Tribemolle” accompanied by the popular Italian musician and singer Mario Rosini, Second place at Sanremo in 2004; an unmissable event given the charitable purpose of the evening. The organizers (Sinapsi Solution Srl), in fact, will donate part of the proceeds to Emergency, the humanitarian association composed of doctors and specialized personnel coordinated by Gino Strada, which saves hundreds of lives around the world every day. Return of the Radicanto for Saturday 27 December, this time accompanied by Nabil & The Next String Quartet, a show that intends to contextualize the art of Domenico Modugno returning it to its land of origin. The fabulous Wonted Chorus, instead, on Sunday 28 December, they will inebriate us with their “Spiritual”, a journey expertly directed by the Maestro Vincenzo Schettini, who, with his usual elegance and skill, will transport us for over an hour into the magical world of choral music with its ancient and intimate nuances. Tuesday, December 30, Peppe Servillo with Solis String Quartet will perform in “Spassiunatamente”, a tribute to the culture and classical Neapolitan song, with songs revisited and personalized by the leader of the Avion Travel in this more traditional but still fascinating and artistically significant guise. Another great concert on January 3, 2015, with the singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and producer with a bit of Apulian blood (father of Trani) Rosalino Cellamare, better known as Ron who, with his "Un abbraccio unico in tour", will revive immortal songs together with other tracks from his latest album released last February. Friday 9 December it will be the turn of the 120 young musicians of theComprehensive Institute “Tauro – Viterbo”, try your hand at a repertoire of Christmas songs and more, under the direction of the talented, and beloved by all the kids, Professor Andrea Mongelli. Saturday, January 10th, with “Hell in the Cave”, another opportunity to admire the astonishing airborne stunts of the dancer-acrobats and be overwhelmed by the power and expressiveness of the narration of one of the most important texts in the world: the Divine Comedy. On January 11th, in collaboration with the Patronal Festivals Committee of Castellana-Grotte, a comfortable meeting will be organised electric train which will act as a bridge between the town center and the Castellana Caves for all those who wish to visit the nativity scenes. To close the festivities, on January 12th, the tradition of the free visit for all Castellanesi on the occasion of Patron Saint in honor of the Madonna della Vetrana.

Godmother of all events, the wonderful actress Elvira Spartano which, at each event, will introduce the great artists who will perform in the magical setting of the underground world of the caves.

The logistics and public reception will be taken care of by the volunteers of the ATC Sottosopra coordinated by Sergio Carpinelli.

"It was a big challenge – commented the president of Grotte Srl, Domi Ciliberti We have succeeded in putting together and organizing events of such high artistic and cultural significance down to the smallest detail, but with constant commitment and strong determination. Our goal has always been promotion, and we believe that this initiative will generate significant returns in terms of image and visibility. We fervently desire to leave those who come to visit us with an indelible memory of our underground site, a repository, more than ever, of truly unique emotions.

All those who purchase a ticket for one of the scheduled concerts will receive a voucher that will entitle them to a €5,00 discount on the cost of the ticket for the full visit or for the special Speleonight 'in the dark' visit. in the Castellana Caves . The promotion will be valid until March 31, 2015.