Frasassi Caves

The Frasassi Caves (Italian: Grotte di Frasassi) are a remarkable karst cave system in the municipality of Genga, Italy, in the province of Ancona, Marche. They are among the most famous show caves in Italy. The caves, discovered by a group of Ancona speleologists in 1971, are situated 7 kilometres (4 miles) south of Genga, near the civil parish of San Vittore and the Genga-San Vittore railway station (Rome-Ancona line).
The cave system is particularly well endowed with stalactites and stalagmites.
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 formal temple, known as Tempietto del Valadier. Frasassi Caves, Le Grotte di Frasassi, are Italy’s top caverns and well worth a visit. The immense cave system was only discovered in 1971 and part of the caverns were opened to visitors in 1974. The caverns can be visited only on guided tours.
The huge rooms of the caverns are filled with stunning stalactites and stalagmites. Highlights of the tour include the Ancona Abyss, a room so large that Milan’s duomo (the world’s largest Gothic cathedral) could easily fit inside it, a crystallized lake, a Grand Canyon, and a room filled with formations that resemble candles.