Top 9 Caves around Oliveto Citra

As you can see from the photos, access is not easy. Here is the information on the cave. https://www.destinazionesalerno.info/Oasi-Parchi-e-Giardini/Grotta-Strazzatrippa.html

The Grotta Profunnata is one of the most interesting attractions of the Oasi Valle della Caccia. It has different environments, and is only partially accessible to visitors, with the help of suitable equipment and under the guidance of an expert.

Along the path that leads from the Valle della Caccia WWF Oasis to the "Grotta Profunnata" you come across a natural rock cavity called the "Boar's Den". Trekking clothes and sturdy shoes!

One of the jewels of the Picentini Mountains is the "Grotta Profunnata", an interesting discovery inside the mountain massif. This place, already known as a refuge for brigands in the second half of the 19th century, saw its first official exploration only in 2004. The speleologists who ventured there managed to identify real "environments" within it: a small cave joined by a corridor to a larger one, which overlooks the Valle del Trientale. Continuing along the path, stalactites and stagmites dominate, leading to a small lake, characterized by crystal clear water. Unfortunately, the cave in its entirety is not a place accessible to everyone: in its entirety it can only be visited by speleologists or, in any case, experts equipped with the appropriate equipment. For ordinary visitors, the excursion is only possible in the initial part, always with the aid of suitable equipment and under the guidance of an expert. https://grandecampania.it/oasi-valle-della-caccia/

To reach it, trekking clothing and sturdy shoes are recommended.

The rock church of the Madonna del Fiume of Calabritto is located in Ponticchio, a few steps from the Bard'natore waterfall. Located inside a karst cave, which can be accessed along a nature trail, this suggestive rock church dates back to the 17th century. According to tradition, its construction would follow the episode in which a chapel, located on the bank of the Meria torrent, was overwhelmed due to the overflowing of the watercourse caused, in turn, by the conspicuous rains which affected the town for several days. The cataclysmic event, however, left intact a depiction of the Virgin Mary painted on the wall, which is why the Church was erected which, still today, is a pilgrimage destination for many faithful and excursionists. Another belief of pagan origin is also linked to the Church of the Madonna del Fiume in Calabritto: if a woman expecting a child drinks the water that drips from a particular breast-shaped stalactite, she will be assured of plenty of milk. This legend, corroborated by the fact that the Madonna del Fiume is the protector of pregnant women, means that, every year, on the occasion of Monday in Albis, the expectant Calabrian women go to the rock church, as a sign of devotion to the Virgin and auspicious for the health and growth of their children. Emblem, perhaps unique in Irpinia, of the perfect symbiosis between faith and nature, the rock church of the Madonna del Fiume in Calabritto is a stop not to be missed for those who love to spend moments of profound reflection and contemplation. https://infoirpinia.it/santuario-della-madonna-del-fiume-calabritto-percorso-trekking/

The "grotta dei Briganti", located at the foot of Monte Ripalta, is one of the many caves in the countryside of the countryside, it has been for years a safe haven for criminals, Brigands or for those who had problems in the town, as its position did not it was easy to access. In fact, until the 70s of the last century, the road below did not exist, the steep slope plunged directly into the nearby river Atri, it could be reached either via the river or from the Patia bridge located near the chapel of the Madonna dell Thanks to the fattening of the Old Town. In the present cave we can still see an opening at the top left, which leads to a path that, through considerable difficulties, at 850 m a.s.l., leads to the so-called 2grotta del Prete ", the cave where the" Banda Giardullo "held hostage the priest Giuseppe Olivieri during the kidnapping which took place in 1864. These events fall within the historical period of the "Brigandage" and what resulted from the unification of Italy.