Grotta di Ispinigoli
The Grotta di Ispinigoli is a now fossilized (dry) stalactite cave on the central east coast of Sardinia .
description
The grotto, which is part of the S. Giovanni su Anzu cave complex, has been explored over a length of 15 km. The tourists only visit the first part, a 50 m deep hall, in the middle of which, 38 m high and 2 m in diameter, the largest stalactite in Europe and the second largest in the world extends from floor to ceiling. The column was created when a stalagmite merged with a stalactite . The cave got its name from her, because Ispinigoli means something like thorn in the throat .
The temperature is a constant 17 ° C. Bats and white spiders live in the grotto.
history
The rainwater, carbonated by plant humus, dug its way through the limestone that predominates here in the Supramonte and caused the minerals to dissolve, creating huge underground cave systems that dug deeper and deeper into the mountain.
At the end of the 19th century, a shepherd in search of a lost lamb discovered the cave. It has only been explored since 1954, with a researcher falling over 40 meters into the Abisso delle Vergini (Virgin Abyss ) in 1956 . The cave has been open to visitors since 1974; a staircase with over 280 steps has been installed; Headlights illuminate the cave.
Directions
From the SS 125 branches off between Orosei and Dorgali at kilometer 14 from Orosei, a little road that leads to the sea bays of Cala Cortoe and Cala Osalle and around the mountain to Cala Gonone . From there one reaches the grotto on a road; There is a restaurant below the entrance. Photography is prohibited in the cave.
Web links
- LA GROTTA DI ISPINIGOLI. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012 ; Retrieved July 23, 2012 (Italian).
Coordinates: 40 ° 19 ′ 5 ″ N , 9 ° 36 ′ 22 ″ E