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.
Leaving the "Grave" we go through underground
passages, corridors and caves with suggestive, emblematic names (the
Black Grotto; Angel's Corridor; The Little Cavern of the Manger,
with the famous Little Madonna of the Grottoes, and finally the Cavern
of the Precipice, from which you can take the return route or proceed
towards what has been defined "The most beautiful grotto in the world",
because of the abundance and purity of its crystalline concretions).
We approach the realm of alabaster by crossing the
"Little Lake of Crystals", and finally get to the splendid "White
Grotto" (discovered in 1940).
At 70 m. below ground-level the grotto displays a
spectacle of crystal inflorescence of the purest white. The stalactites extend sharply from the vault, whereas the stalagmites
at one time surfaced from the mirror-like waters that collected in drips
on the floor. From the depths of the grottos we return to the
surface via a convenient lift service.
