The Wind Cave (Grotta del Vento)
Fascinating natural caves in Italy
Grotta del Vento is located within the northern Apuan Alps Regional Park in Tuscany. It is one of the most important attractions in the park.
Grotta del Vento or the Cave of the Wind is surrounded by Mediterranean shrubland vegetation. The cave system is one of the most interesting in Italy, and it is divided into two main areas: The Great Cave, also known as Grotta Grande, and The Little Cave, also known as Grotta Piccola.
The origin
The Grotta del Vento was formed by the action of water on the limestone rock. The caves are characterized by a long series of underground rivers with waterfalls and siphons, which have created galleries and large cavities. The cave has many speleothems: stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones.
Discovery of the cave
In 1878 Giovanni Capellini, a professor of paleontology at the University of Bologna, discovered the entrance to Grotta del Vento on an excursion along the Cerreto River. After finding a way into its labyrinths, he was able to reach the main chamber and its waterfalls, which were around 100 meters deep inside the mountain.
He was so impressed that he wrote: "It's impossible to explain here what we saw and felt because it would take many pages: it has to be seen to be believed. We will just mention that we found fossils in a state of extraordinary preservation."
At that time, Capellini had no idea that this was only the beginning of a long series of scientific discoveries in what he called "the most beautiful cave I have ever seen". This cave has been since then used for speleological purposes and for scientific research related to climatology and karstology. Today, it is one of the most important places in Tuscany for speleo tourism and is open to public visits during most of the year.
