The Frasassi Caves (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

: ''Grotte di Frasassi'') are a

karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

cave Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's Planetary surface, surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance undergrou ...

system in the municipality of

Genga, Italy Genga is a town and ''comune'' of province of Ancona in the Italian region of the Marche, on the Sentino river about downstream and east of Sassoferrato and north of Fabriano. The town is best known as the ancestral home of the noble family of ...

, in the

province of Ancona The province of Ancona () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Marche region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Ancona, and the province borders the Adriatic Sea. The city of Ancona is also the capital of Marche. To the north, the province ...

Marche Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...

. They are among the most famous

show cave A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits. Definition A show cave is a cave that has been made accessible to ...

s in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

History

The caves, discovered by a group of

Ancona Ancona (, also ; ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region of central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona, homonymous province and of the region. The city is located northeast of Ro ...

speleologists Speleology () is the scientific study of caves and other karst features, as well as their composition, structure, physical properties, history, ecology, and the processes by which they form (speleogenesis) and change over time (speleomorpholog ...

led by Giancarlo Cappanera on 25 September 1971, are situated south of Genga, near the civil parish of San Vittore and the Genga-San Vittore railway station ( Rome-Ancona line). Rich in water, the cave system is particularly well endowed with

stalactite A stalactite (, ; , ) is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble and that can be deposited as a colloid, or is in suspension (chemistry ...

s and

stalagmite A stalagmite (, ; ; ) is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically composed of calcium carbonate, but may consist ...

s. Near the entrance to the caves are two sanctuary-chapels: one is the 1029 '' Santuario di Santa Maria infra Saxa'' (Sanctuary of Holy Mary under the Rock) and the second is an 1828

Neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of t ...

formal temple, known as Tempietto del Valadier.

Chambers

The Frasassi cave system includes a number of named chambers, including the following: * ''Grotta delle Nottole'', or "Cave of the Bats", named for the large colony of

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

s that lives within. * ''Grotta Grande del Vento'', or "Great Cave of the Wind", discovered in 1971, with approximately of passageways. * ''Abisso Ancona'', or "Ancona Abyss", a huge space around 180 x 120 meters wide and near 200m tall. * ''Sala delle Candeline'', or "Room of the Candles", named for its plentiful stalagmites that resemble candles. * ''Sala dell'Infinito'', or "Room of the Infinite", a tall chamber with massive

speleothem A speleothem (; ) is a geological formation made by mineral deposits that accumulate over time in natural caves. Speleothems most commonly form in calcareous caves due to carbonate dissolution reactions. They can take a variety of forms, depen ...

columns supporting the roof. file:Grotte di Frasassi - Canne d'Organo.jpg, "Organ pipes" file:Grotte di Frasassi - il Pozzo.jpg, Water well

Scientific experiments

The cave has been used to conduct experiments in

chronobiology Chronobiology is a field of biology that examines timing processes, including periodic (cyclic) phenomena in living organisms, such as their adaptation to solar- and lunar-related rhythms. These cycles are known as biological rhythms. Chron ...

. Among the cavers that have spent considerable amount of time inside the cave is the Italian sociologist

Maurizio Montalbini Maurizio Montalbini (4 September 1953 – 19 September 2009) was an Italian sociologist and caver who had lived in complete isolation in an underground chamber multiple times since 1986. Early life, family and education Montalbini was born a ...

. In 1986, he ventured into the Grotte di Frasassi beneath Italy's Apennine mountains. He survived on pills, powders, and other astronaut-like food while researchers monitored his health. His few luxuries were chocolate, honey, and plenty of tobacco, smoking nearly two packs of cigarettes a day. During his time underground, away from sunlight, Mr. Montalbini lost almost 30 pounds. He would stay awake for 50 hours at a stretch, then sleep for five. He spent his time reading and writing a novel titled "Where the Sun Sleeps." He reported enjoying his underground experience, aside from the occasional earthquakes."One cannot fight solitude, one must make a friend of it," he remarked after emerging 210 days later, although he believed it had only been 79 days. He died in 2009.

Penn State Research

Penn State researchers, led by Professor Jennifer Macalady, a microbiologist, studies microbial biofilms in some of the planet's most hostile environments to understand the limits of life and how life started on Earth. Macalady, along with doctoral student Dani Buchheister, explored Italy's Frasassi cave system, sampling biofilms, referred to as "alien cave goo" due to its stringy dark nature, from underground lakes, including Lago Verde. Their research, featured in the December 2023 issue of National Geographic, sought to uncover how microbes survive in extreme conditions without sunlight or oxygen, akin to early Earth. Key findings included that microbes can survive with minimal resources such as rocks and water, and that these biofilms may reflect the first metabolic processes on Earth.

Sister caves

Frasassi is partnered with several ''sister caves''Sister caves on frasassi.com
around the world: *

Grand Roc Grand Roc is a mountain of Savoie, France. It lies in the Massif de la Vanoise range. It has an elevation of above sea level. See also * Bochnia Salt Mine, southern Poland, central Europe * Wieliczka Salt Mine, near Kraków in Poland, central Eu ...

(

Les Eyzies Les Eyzies (; ) is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and terri ...

—

Aquitaine Aquitaine (, ; ; ; ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne (), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former Regions of France, administrative region. Since 1 January 2016 it has been part of the administ ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

) * Wieliczka Salt Mine (

Wieliczka Wieliczka (German: ''Groß Salze'', Latin: ''Magnum Sal'') is a historic town in southern Poland, situated within the Kraków metropolitan area in Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999. The town was initially founded in 1290 by Premislaus II of P ...

—

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name ''Małopolska'' (; ), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a separate cult ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

) *

Kartchner Caverns State Park Kartchner Caverns State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, featuring a show cave with of passages. The park is located south of the town of Benson and west of the north-flowing San Pedro River. Long hidden from view, the cavern ...

( Benson —

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

)

References

External links

Grotte di Frasassi official site

The story of the discovery of the Frasassi caves

{{Authority control Caves of Italy Landforms of the Marche Show caves in Italy Limestone caves Province of Ancona Tourist attractions in le Marche