Castellana Grotte
Castellana stands at the limits of an extended, depressed land-mass. It
is the most striking example in a series of places that connote the
morphology of the entire Lower-Murgia territory.
Before entering
the town (arriving from Conversano) we finds signs to the Grottos, which
have made Castellana internationally famous.
We owe the discovery of the grottoes to the
speleologist, Franco Anelli, who climbed into the Castellana "Grave" on
23rd january, 1938. He demonstrated that is was not a bottomless,
snare-ridden abyss (as a legend had it), but the entrance to an
unspoiled route winding between calcareous concretion of rare beauty.
The explorations took place with the collaboration of Vito Matarrese and
Domenico Magistro, youthful volunteers from Castellana. Hence the first
touristic route was set up, and now corresponds to about three Km.
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