Grotte di Pertosa (grotte dell'Angelo)

Pertosa caves (Grotte dell’Angelo)
The Caves of Pertosa-Auletta are the result of 35 million years of incessant work of Nature. The site recalls every year  thousands of visitors who choose this place for various reasons, ranging from naturalistic to speleological, to archaeological interest; that makes it one of the most important sites of Italy. Today is available a 3 km route that runs under the imposing Alburni Massif.

The initial stretch is flooded by the River Negro which offers a fascinating and unusual journey by boat up to a small landing place from which you will go on, surrounded by a magical silence and then enchanted by the pelting of a big natural waterfall. The atmosphere is surreal: tunnels, galleries and caverns open to the visitor's eyes showing groups of stalactites and stalagmites that mould in mysterious shapes. There are different paths that allow everyone to visit the Caves enjoying a constant internal temperature of 16° throughout the year. You will always be guided by experienced personnel.

Open time
January - February - November - December: 10 - 12 am; 2 - 4 pm
March: 10 am- 5 pm
September: 10 am – 6 pm
October: 10 am – 5 pm
April – May: 9 am - 7 pm
June – July - August: 10 am – 7 pm
CLOSED ON MONDAY from September 1st to March 31

Price
FREE for children aged 0 to 5
BASIC Itinerary:
- Adults € 13 – Cheap ticket € 10 (children aged 6 to15; adults over 65);
INTERMEDIATE Itinerary:
- Adults € 16 – Cheap ticket € 13 (children aged 6 to15; adults over 65);
EXTRA Itinerary:
- Adults € 20- Cheap ticket € 15 (children aged 6 to15; adults over 65);
Museum MIdA + € 2 (add to the itinerary price)

Dante’s Inferno in the caves of Pertosa-Auletta
The caves of Pertosa-Auletta host a show called "Dante’s Inferno in the caves at Pertosa", produced by Tappeto Magico s.a.s, founded and directed by Maria Corrado.
The audience, divided into groups of 30/35 people, is guided by "Dante" through the ten circles of the Hell imagined by the great poet. They meet the characters of the Poem and its verses take shape and become alive.

The set is a 35 million years old scenario: the underground River Negro became the Acheron that must be crossed by boat to reach the shore where the trip starts from. Games of light, sounds and a series of video installations of contemporary art enrich the show that runs for about a kilometer and involves over 30 actors and dancers. The show is a real event. Unique, exciting, suggestive.

Mida–Integrated Environment Museum 
geo-speleo-archaeological section
Piazza G. De Marco-Pertosa

Duration: about 1 hour
You can discover karst phenomena enjoying the cave environment, the bio-caving and the archaeological finds of the Pertosa-Auletta site, the most famous cave-dwelling site in Europe. The multimedia Geo-Speleological itinerary traces the geological evolution of the karst phenomena. The tour begins with a virtual elevator that gives you the feeling of going down into the bowels of the Earth. The site has got the same geological structure as the Alburni Mountains.

The biology of caves, from bats to aquatic fauna, is shown using multimedia materials and magnifying glasses, to observe specimens of animals found inside the caves of Pertosa-Auletta.
Speleo-archaeological exhibition illustrates the function of the caves in the prehistoric world, also thanks to the descriptive materials (of both prehistoric settlements in the caves and mining equipment) and reconstructions of full-scale cave excavation that show speleo-archaeological discoveries. The archaeological collection includes original finds and reproduction from the caves of Pertosa- Auletta.