| | |
| 1897 | the remains of two cave dwellings were found. |
| 12th century | used as church. |
The cave is a river cave with a subterranean river, which emerges from a huge
portal, 70m above the valley floor.
The entrance hall contains an altar for San Michele
Arcangelo and the pier where boats are entered.
The first part of the following passage is filled by a 200m long subterranean
lake, which is crossed on motorless boats.
One guide talks to the visitors while another guide pulls the boat along a
tightrope, mounted about 2m above the water level.
Originally the cave river ran free down the passage and left the cave entrance
in a cataract.
A dam at the cave entrance increased the water level about three meters and thus
flooded the passage with the silent lake.
The dammed water is used to produce 370 kW of hydroelectric energy below the
cave at the bottom of the valley.
This electricity supplies the show cave, the town Pertosa and other villages
nearby.
The rest of the cave is dry and toured by foot.
Huge chambers and richly decorated passages, which are well lit.
The lamps are all white, but show different tones of white, and so the
formations and chambers of the main passage give the visitor a feeling of
enormous depth.
Karst cave,
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