Antro del Corchia

Visit the Antro del Corchia cave in Apuan Alps in Tuscany with 53 km of tunnels and galleries

The Cave of Antro del Corchia is located within the Mount Corchia in the southern Apuan Alps. With its 53 km of tunnels and galleries, the Corchia is one of the most extensive karst systems in the world and the third deepest cave in Italy, with 1187 meters of altitude. Due to its characteristics is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque hiking of the entire Alps.

Discovered in 1841, the Antro del Corchia is open only since 2001, thanks to the creation of a path, illuminated and equipped long about 2 km.

New tours have been added in 2008, like the path in the Mines of Argento Vivo and in the Cave of marble. The excursion in Antro del Corchia takes about 2 hours and the difficulty level is medium. Because of the low internal temperature (6-7°), we recommend warm clothing, but in case you can rent on site sweatshirts and boots.

Once inside, you will be guided into a series of galleries: the Gallery Franosa, the Gallery of English and the Gallery of Friday, where you can admire the so called "eagle" (a massive casting formation that reminds an eagle) and the small Lake of Friday. Continuing, we find the Petrified Forest and the wonderful gallery of the Stalactites, a variety show of colors and shapes made of stalactites and stalagmites.

Still painted by Pinturicchio is the Chapel of St. John the Baptist, which preserves the bronze statue of the saint by Donatello and the baptismal font by Antonio Federighi. Next to the Duomo is the Baptistery of San Giovanni, in which is preserved the famous baptismal font, an important example of Renaissance sculpture of the first 400, to which also worked Donatello, Ghiberti and Jacopo della Quercia.