Le Grotte Verdi di Pradis


Useful Information

Location: Pradis di Sotto, province of Pordenone.
Autostrada exit Osoppo-Gemona. Towards Spilimbergo, at San Daniele turn off to Vito D'Asio, Clauzetto, and finally Pradis di Sotto.
Open: Gorge: no restrictions.
Museo della Grotta di Pradis: JUN Sun, Hol 10-12, 14-17.
JUL to AUG daily 10-12, 14-18.
SEP Sun, Hol 10-12, 14-17.
Rest of year after appointment.
[2007]
Fee: Gorge: free.
Museo della Grotta di Pradis: Adults EUR 1.60, Reduced EUR 0.50.
Groups (10+): Adults EUR 1.30.
[2007]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address: Museo della Grotta di Pradis, Piazza IV Novembre 6, Pradis di Sopra, Clauzetto, Tel: +39-0427-80323, Tel: +39-0427-80329, Fax: +39-0427-80516. E-mail: contact
Gruppo Speleologico Pradis, c/o Gerometta Rinaldo, via della Sorgente, 3 - 33090 CLAUZETTO (PN), Tel: +39-0427-80320, Tel: +39-0432-950084. E-mail: contact
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1965 local caving club founded.
1969 first permanent exposition in the elementary school.
1987 new building for the museum erected.

Description

Le Grotte Verdi di Pradis (The Green Grottoes of Pradis) is a series of small caves located in an impressive gorge. A trail leads through the gorge of the rivulet Cosa to the various caves. The biggest chamber, called Green Cave, is developed with level floor and used for services. Once a year on Christmas the mountaineers of the area meet here for a church service.

The gorge is named after Don Giacomo Bianchini, the former priest of the village Pradis. He got a poem from his predecessor, about the beautiful nature, and how it would be visited by many people in the future. Together with many locals working for free, he tried to make this vision real by building the trail. The caves were explored by the new caving club and archaeological excavations took place. The remains included numerous cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) and Stone Age tools.

In the village Pradis is the Museo della Grotta di Pradis, a small museum showing the findings of the excavations by Prof. Giorgio Bartolomei from the Università di Ferrara (University of Ferrara). He made findings of Middle and New Stone Age, mainly in the Grotte Verdi and the nearby Grotta Mainarda. The flint tools were dated with the C-14 method, being between 11,000 and 12,000 years old. Other remains from the Bronze age were dated 3,000 to 3,350 years old.