The city of caves: Castellana Grotte

In the heart of Puglia lies Castellana Grotte, the city is known above all thanks to the karst complex of the Castellana Caves. There are numerous religious architectures in the city. The church of San Francesco, built on the pre-existing church of Santa Maria Annunziata has a single cross-shaped nave, inside there are seven glorious altars in local stone by Fra 'Luca Principino. The external facade is in ashlar stone. Built on one of the 5 hills of Castellana the Sanctuary of Maria SS. della Vetrana was built in honor of the Madonna who in 1690 had freed the city from the plague. The interior of the church has a single Latin cross nave with a decorated barrel vault. A fresco depicting the Madonna is kept in a chapel on the left. The cloister has a simple structure in which there is a beautiful permanent nativity scene. The Castellana Caves are an important natural heritage for all of Italy. The formation of the cavities dates back to more than 90 million years ago, the visit to the public winds through a 3 km long path and leads to more than 60 meters deep. Through a passage in the wall you enter the white cave, an alabaster casket. Of particular suggestion are the dried up lake whose bottom is covered with crystals, the walls covered with fluorescent, the perfect stalactites and natural columns. There are numerous events of different nature that can attract visitors in all seasons, such as the Feast of the Fanòve, the April party, the consoler and many others.