• ABOUT THE SPOT

Caving / Spelunking in ”The Luppa Cave”, Sante Marie, Abruzzo Italy

Character:
Karstic
Open:
On request and only with guide
The particular geological conditions and the morphology of the Apennines zone have created in Abruzzo region, in central Italy, a number of remarkable caves very appealing to the speleology and spelunking fans.

Located in the area of Sante Marie, at 32 km/19.8 mi in the southeastern of L’Aquila, this cave is a complex of cavities. Its main characteristic is the underground river which shapes and forms the morphology of the cavity. The first references for the cave dates back to 1678. Since then, many explorations and discoveries have expanded the size of the reachable cavities and sinkholes.

The pass of calcite flows changes further the character of the cave, giving to the cavity a broader development from 1500 m/4921 ft, known till then, to 2000 m/6561 ft. The underground environment is characterized by many steams and small lakes. Some departments of the cave, like Gran Salto in at 22 m/72 ft under the surface, in winter time are not accessible. Nowadays, only part of the cave is open to the visitors. The department on the side of the Galleria delle Meraviglie has to wait future explorations to come into light.