Every time the massive armoured door opens, a strong gush of wind collides with the visitor who enters the depths of the cave of Fornovolasco which, coherently, is known as the «Cave of the wind».
About 50 kilometres from Lucca, along the long and green valley of the Garfagnana, in the municipality of Vergemoli, lies the underground system of the Caves of the Wind. The system, partly explored for the first time in 1932, is formed by a series of galleries, tunnels, deep wells extending for about 4 kilometres, just in the part so far explored (there are still over 30 ramifications of the cave).
The strong draught, whence the name of the cave, originates from two entrances at different altitudes of the mountain, where the galleries start. The internal temperature in fact, constant at + 10,7 degrees centigrade in every period of the year, creates draughts depending on climate changes outside.
Thus it happens that when the external temperature is higher than +10,7 degrees it is caused by a wind that exits, becoming contrary if the temperature is lower. The effect is heightened when the internal-external climate excursion becomes greater.
The province of Lucca offers interesting excursions to «the middle of the earth». The Caves of the wind are open to the public and they can be visited choosing between one of the three itineraries offered by the visitors' centre, as happens for the Antro del Corchia, opened in 2001.
(Photo from the website: Grotta del Vento)
Grotta del vento
When: 1 April -30 September open every day; 1 October -31 March during working days only the 1st itinerary.
Tickets
Itinerary 1: € 6,50, € 5,00 conc..
Itinerary 2: € 10,50, € 8,50 conc.
Itinerary 3: € 15,00, € 11,50 conc.
Concessions are for children below 10 years of age, the military and spelaeologists (with id card) and groups of 20 people.
Information: 0583-722024
May.2002
Grotta del vento
E-mail: Grotta del Vento
Tourism in Tuscany
