Grotta Maona

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The Grotta Maona is a stalactite cave about 1.5 km north of Montecatini Terme in the province of Pistoia , Italy . It was approached in 1860 while quarrying work, which was then stopped to preserve the cave.

The cave is located a few meters west of Via Maona, the road from Montecatini Terme to Vico and Montecatini Alto . It is about 200 m long and up to 20 m deep. It is the only cave in Italy with two underground lakes: the first is just beyond the entrance, the second is at the end of a system of cave passages full of stalactites and stalagmites . The stalactite jewelry was particularly badly affected during the Second World War, when the German Wehrmacht used the cave as a cold store and ammunition depot. From the second lake one can get back to the surface of the earth without going back the same way to the entrance; the Grotta Maona is said to be the only show cave in Italy with different entrances and exits. The temperature in the cave is a constant 15 degrees Celsius.

The cave has been open to the public since 1875. They are open to visitors in the mornings and afternoons from April 1st to October 15th. It is only partially accessible for wheelchair users. The lighting is electric. A tour (Italian or English) takes about 20 minutes.

Coordinates: 43 ° 54 ′ 1 ″  N , 10 ° 46 ′ 36 ″  E

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