Castellana Caves – a system of underground caves and grottos in the East of Italy, Apulia region.
The first time, the scientists tried to explore the underground world of Bari at the end of the 18th century. But their attempts were unsuccessful. Only two centuries later the famous speleologist Franco Anelli and his team could go through all the complex of caves. That is why his statue is installed at the entrance of Grotte di Castellana.
The caves and grottos of Bari are ancient, their age is several million years. In ancient times, on their place the underground river flew, which created the corridors of unusual shapes in limestone rocks.
Standing on the ground over the caves, people see just several little cracks. Previously, livestock, grazing in these places, often fell into the splits and got lost, and the interior of the Earth shed a stinking smell. So, the locals decided that the splits were the gates to hell and were afraid of it.
Nowadays, the caves are studied in detail. Moreover, tourists can visit some grottos and get closer to the underground life of the Apulia region. The brave visitors even have an opportunity to descend on the 72-meters depth and make a 3 kilometers walk.
It is also interesting that the speleologists officially chose the most beautiful cave – the White one, which is also open for excursions. During them, be attentive and you will see the marvelously beautiful crystals and limestone stalactites and stalagmites.