The historic center and the caves of Castellana, Puglia not to be missed

Castellana Grotte is located on the limestone plateau of the Terra dei Trulli e delle Grotte. It is mainly known for the Caves, a karst complex that attracts thousands of tourists every year, discovered in 1938 by professor Franco Anelli. The visit to the Caves winds for 1.5 km, or, with the longer itinerary, for 3 km, between caves and chasms. The natural entrance consists of a huge open pit, called the Grave. Here you cross several rocky masses, each with particular names, for example: the Cave of the Owl, the Corridor of the Snake and the Red Corridor. Natural phenomena such as the formation of calcite can be observed at each point. Walking through the town you will come across several prestigious buildings such as: - the church of Caroseno, which houses, among other things, the painting of the Madonna del Caroseno and canvases by the Castellanese painter Vincenzo Fato; - the clock tower in Piazza Nicola e Costa; - the Town Hall, located in a former Franciscan convent next to the church dedicated to Santa Maria Annunziata, which looks like a fascinating building with a beautiful cloister; - the church of Purgatorio, or of Santa Maria del Suffragio, dating back to the eighteenth century, which houses some paintings by Vincenzo Fato; - in Piazza Leone Magno stands the mother church of Castellana dedicated to Pope San Leone I Magno, co-patron of the city; - the Torre Nuova, known as the castle, a cylindrical bastion of the '400, which belonged to the defensive walls. On the top a sculpture dedicated to Maria da Castellana or La Castellana.