Grotta Zinzulusa

Zinzulusa Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Piazzale Zinzulusa, 73030 Castro LE. 2 km north of Castro Marino, Lecce, Italy. (40.0119161, 18.4312104)
Open:	APR to MAY daily 10-18. JUN daily 9:30-18:30. JUL to AUG daily 9:30-19. SEP daily 9:30-18:30. OCT to MAR daily 10-16:30. [2024]
Fee:	Adults EUR 6, Children (0-11) EUR 3. Groups (30+): Adults EUR 4, School Pupils EUR 3. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave Sea Cave River Cave
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:	L=150 m. V=100.000/a
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	B. Tanduo, F. Chiabrando, Luigi Coluccia, R. Auriemma (2023): Underground Heritage Documentation: The Case Study of Grotta Zinzulusa in Castro (Lecce-Italy), The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Volume XLVIII-M-2-2023. 29th CIPA Symposium “Documenting, Understanding, Preserving Cultural Heritage: Humanities and Digital Technologies for Shaping the Future”, 25–30 June 2023, Florence, Italy. academia.edu Giuseppe L. Pesce (2001): The Zinzulusa cave: an endangered biodiversity »hot spot« of South Italy, Natura Croatica, Vol. 10, No 3, pp. 207-212, ZAGREB, September 30, 2001. academia.edu Paolo Melis (2015): Conservation of marine biodiversity: biology, taxonomy, biogeography and sustainable development of target sponges, Dissertation for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Biology, presented At Sassari University In 2014. academia.edu
Address:	Città di Castro, Via di Mezzo S.N., 73030 Castro, Tel: +39-0836-947005. E-mail: Grotta Zinzulusa, Piazzale Zinzulusa litoranea, 73030 Castro LE, Tel: +39-0836943812. E-mail:
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

1793	cave discovered by Monsignore Francesco Antonio Del Duca and described in detail.
1807	described by Monticelli.
1821	described by Brocchi.
1874	described by De Giorgi.
1874	described by Botti.
1940s	mining of bat guano, first trails built for the mining.
13-AUG-1957	cave opened as a show cave.
1968	some scenes of Carmelo Bene's film, "Nostra Signora dei Turchi", were shot here.
1972 to 1981	researchers of the "Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali" of the University of L'Aquila explored the cave.
1998	listed as one of the ten most endangered karst habitats by the Karst Waters Institute (KWI).
1999	listed as one of the ten most beautiful caves in the world.

Description

Grotta Zinzulusa is located on the coast, a natural karst cave, which once drained to a much lower Mediterranean Sea, during the Ice Ages. Later the sea level rose, the water and waves started to erode the coastline and create a vertical limestone cliff. The cave was opened by this erosion, and as the cave itself is a sort of weakness in the rock, it gave the waves more chances for their destroying work. As a result the rather small natural passage becomes a huge portal where the cave development was intensified by the waves.

The cave shares the car park and ticket office with municipal swimming pool. At this steep coast is not as much beach as elsewhere in Italy, so the sweet water pool is highly frequented. From the ticket office, a footpath goes to the cave, first down in u turns and then along the cliff face around the corner. And this is probably the best part of the cave visit: the first view of the cave portal, aquamarine sea, white and yellow limestone cliffs, and the enormous cave portal. Now the path goes up again, to the cave entrance, which goes up at the rear end of the cave portal. The cave has two levels, the upper, dry one is used for the tours, the lower one has a sort of cave river. The stops which allow a view down to the water level, aro called pools. The first pool, La Conca, is characterized by brackish waters and contains both marine and fresh water species. This tells us that there is a connection, the cave continues below the water level and ends underwater in the cove. The second pool, Il Cocito, is characterized as oligohaline and is home to a stygobitic fauna. A formerly unknown stygobitic sponge has been collected in the far reaches of Il Cocito.

The cave is home to a great variety of troglobiont fauna, including several salt water species. This extraordinary habitat was explored over decades by numerous cave biologists. Its exceptionally rich biodiversity with sixty species and subspecies described from this cave is outstanding. But unfortunately, it was in great danger to be destroyed by the tourism as well as the people living in the surroundings and the resulting pollution. Agricultural and pastoral activities, chemical manufacturers and petroleum refineries discharge their waste into the aquatic reservoirs of the country, the result is increasing pollution of the Mediterranean coasts. So the cave became infamous when it was listed as one of the ten most endangered karst communities by the Karst Waters Institute (KWI). But the local marketing guys were quite creative, and just invented their own list. One year later, the cave was listed as one of the ten most beautiful caves in the world. And while the first list has a scientific background, the second list is just commercial.

Grotta Zinzulusa was named after particular speleothems found inside the cave. They are called "zinzuli" in the Salentino dialect, meaning "rags". These formations normally called Curtain or even bacon rind, but this name is also quite creative. This origin is also the topic of the following local legend:

Near the village lived the Baron di Castro, lord of the lands, a cruel and evil character and very rich. Out of his wickedness he let his wife die of pain and clothed his poor daughter only with rags. His avarice and greed were so great that, despite the large amount of money at his disposal, he preferred to accumulate goods rather than spend any money on his daughter's clothes. The child, who lacked care and paternal and maternal love, grew up dark and sad. One day, however, a good fairy appeared before the child and gave her a beautiful dress by tearing up the old and worn-out one she was wearing. The zinzuli (rags in Salentino dialect) flew with the wind until they settled on the walls of the cave, where they petrified. From that moment on, the cave was called Zinzulusa because its ends were adorned with scraps of clothing. The baron, on the other hand, was thrown by the fairy deep into the water under the cave. Here he settled, hellish water gushed from the bottom of the sea, creating the pond called Cocito. The crabs that witnessed this event were blinded forever. The girl married a rich and good prince, and her life changed forever.

It is possible to extend the cave tour by a second tour. The portal has a small wooden pier, which is used by wooden tourist boats. For a few euros, visitors are driven to the small sea caves in the neighbourhood, which is quite short fun. The main goal is the Grotta Azzurra, a small sea cave which has blueish light through the water, located 200 m to the south.

Another important cave nearby is the Grotta Romanelli which is located about 400 m to the north. It is one of the most famous archaeological caves of Italy, and even Neanderthal remains were found here. Remains with an age between 70,000 and 12,000 years were excavated, some are on display at the Paleontholgical Museum of Maglie. To protect the archaeological remains this cave is closed.