In
the green landscape of the Alburni mountain of the Cilento
National
Park, between the villages of Auletta and Pertosa located at 70 km (about
43 miles) from Salerno, in an attractive natural amphitheatre lies
the Angel or Pertosa Caves. Recent research dates the origin of the
cave to about 34 million years ago. Numerous traces show that they
were lived in up until the stone age; the Greeks and Romans assigned
the cave as a seat of cult and finally the Christians consecrated
the caves to St. Michael Archangel. The Angel Caves of Pertosa
unwind for about 2,500 mt across tunnels and immense caverns; they
are characterised by the beauty of their stalact and stalagmite
conformation, for the impressiveness of the caverns, and because
they are unique in Italy. To visit the caves one must cross an
underground river. A boat wisely guided into the
depths
of the earth for some 100 m, in a silence which is broken only by
the sound of water and exclamations of surprise. After a few minutes
the boat berths and the enchantment begins. A wonderful waterfall
created by the Black River echoes distant times, stalacts and drapes
of candid alabaster hang from the vaults of the caverns, stalagmites
of strange shapes capture incredulous gazes, one walks through
tunnels and arabesque corridors lit by the subtle play of light into
vast salons each of which has a name, and one meets with the
incredible concretion which nature has created throughout millions
of years.
The Angel Caves are easy to reach taking the A3 highway
Salerno-Reggio Calabria exiting at Petina or the national Calabria
road. At about 200 m from the entrance to the caves there is an
ample car park and without ruining the natural beauty of the
surrounding landscape there are also restaurants where one can taste
the delicious local cuisine.
In
the green landscape of the Alburni mountain of the Cilento
National
Park, between the villages of Auletta and Pertosa located at 70 km (about
43 miles) from Salerno, in an attractive natural amphitheatre lies
the Angel or Pertosa Caves. Recent research dates the origin of the
cave to about 34 million years ago. Numerous traces show that they
were lived in up until the stone age; the Greeks and Romans assigned
the cave as a seat of cult and finally the Christians consecrated
the caves to St. Michael Archangel. The Angel Caves of Pertosa
unwind for about 2,500 mt across tunnels and immense caverns; they
are characterised by the beauty of their stalact and stalagmite
conformation, for the impressiveness of the caverns, and because
they are unique in Italy. To visit the caves one must cross an
underground river. A boat wisely guided into the
depths
of the earth for some 100 m, in a silence which is broken only by
the sound of water and exclamations of surprise. After a few minutes
the boat berths and the enchantment begins. A wonderful waterfall
created by the Black River echoes distant times, stalacts and drapes
of candid alabaster hang from the vaults of the caverns, stalagmites
of strange shapes capture incredulous gazes, one walks through
tunnels and arabesque corridors lit by the subtle play of light into
vast salons each of which has a name, and one meets with the
incredible concretion which nature has created throughout millions
of years.