La Salata Necropoli Paleocristiana

Useful Information

Location:	7 km northwest of Vieste on SP52. Near Albergo Gabbiano Beach Hotel Vieste.
Open:	No restrictions. [2011]
Fee:	free. [2011]
Classification:	Catacombs
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	La Salata Necropoli Paleocristiana, Santa Maria di Merino, 71019 Vieste.
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History

Description

La Salata is a series of early Christian graves, which were constructed in the walls and on the floor of natural and artificial caves. Surrounded by Mediterranean maquis the cave walls have tier upon tier of narrow tombs cut into the rock. The graves on the cave floors form shallow niches in a rectangular pattern. The site has been declared "an oasis of archaeology and nature" by the WWF.

The catacombs are artifical, but there were several natural cave used. There are numerous karst features on the site, the most impressive is probably the cave La Salata. It is a karst spring, located only slightly above the sea level. The spring contains sea water, this is why it was called La Salata or the salty. The cave system obviously reaches the sea below sea level and salt water flows into the cave system.