Castellana caves

Grotte di Castellana (Castellana Caves)
View of the caves
Location of the caves in Italy
Location	Castellana Grotte (BA, Apulia, Italy)
Coordinates	40°52′32″N 17°08′59″E / 40.87556°N 17.14972°E / 40.87556; 17.14972Coordinates: 40°52′32″N 17°08′59″E / 40.87556°N 17.14972°E / 40.87556; 17.14972
Length	3,000 m
Elevation	263 m
Discovery	1938
Geology	Karst cave
Entrances	1
Access	Public
Show cave opened	1932
Show cave length	1,000 m
Website	Official website

The Castellana Caves (Italian: Grotte di Castellana) are a karst cave system located in the municipality of Castellana Grotte, in the province of Bari, Apulia.

The caves, discovered in 1938 by the speleologist Franco Anelli, are situated 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) south of Castellana and are served by the (Grotte di Castellana railway station) on the FSE line Bari-Putignano-Martina-Taranto.

The entrance is represented by an enormous vertical tunnel 60 meters (200 ft) long. The main cave is named "La Grave" (as abyss), and others are named Black Cavern (Caverna Nera), White Cave (Grotta Bianca) and Precipice Cavern (Caverna del Precipizio).

The Caves of Castellana open in south-eastern Murge, a limestone plateau dating back to the upper Cretaceous (ninety- one hundred million years ago) and rising 330 metres above sea level. The area of Castellana is characterized by limestone, a sedimentary rock composed largely of calcium carbonate, known as Limestone of Altamura. The cave system is 3348 metres in length and the point of maximum depth reaches 122 metres. The temperature within the caves is about 18 °C. The caves are open all year round except for Christmas Day and the New Year’s day. The visit develops along two itineraries: the first is 1 km long and lasts about 50 minutes while the second is 3 km long and lasts about two hours. The tour timetable changes depending on the season. In addition, during the summer there are also guided night tours. The Grave is the first and the biggest cave of this wonderful speleological complex and it is the only one communicating with the outside. It measures 100 m in length, 50 m in width and 60 m in depth. Going beyond the Grave stalactites, stalagmites, curtains and precious crystals continues to embellish everywhere the caves. The name of the environment are the result through the imagination of the early explorers: the She-Wolf, the Monuments, the Owl, the Little Virgin Mary, the Altar, the Precipice, the Desert Corridor, the Reverse Column, the Red Corridor, the Dome up to the last and the most dazzling one, the White Cave.