Grotta Virgilio

What if I told you there’s a hidden world beneath our feet, right here in Trieste? This is Grotta Virgilio, a cave with two entrances. Grotta Virgilio’s main entrance was discovered in 1987. It’s tucked away in a pine forest sloping down from Monte San Primo towards Campo Sacro. Interestingly, it’s quite close to another cave, the Grotta del Bersaglio Militare. Grotta Virgilio’s second entrance, discovered more recently in 2010, opens into a private area known as the Sardoc sinkhole. This cave system is extensive, stretching 311 meters horizontally and 398 meters spatially. It plunges to a depth of 48 meters. The cave’s interior is a fascinating labyrinth. From the small original entrance, a narrow, sloping passage leads down. Early explorers had to navigate this passage, which was almost entirely filled with earth and debris. Beyond two narrow points, now more easily passable, a 4-meter climb down brings you into the first chamber. This chamber is adorned with beautiful cave formations. From here, several paths branch off, each with its own unique features. One passage leads towards the nearby Grotta del Bersaglio Militare. Another, a narrow, debris-filled gallery, descends to a 7-meter pothole. This was only explored once in 1988 due to the small opening. The “Ramo dell’Ammore” extends eastward, a series of small, richly decorated chambers leading to a final room with a clay floor. In 1990, explorers noticed a significant draft near a small ascending gallery. After some excavation, they discovered two more potholes, 5 and 9 meters deep. From here, a magnificent 60-meter long meander unfolds, reaching heights of up to 12 meters in places. Several side passages and chambers interrupt the meander, adding to the complexity of the cave. Further exploration leads to a system of descending galleries, including small potholes. At the bottom of one, the skeleton of a large rodent was discovered. These galleries are now partially filled with debris from later excavations. The 2010 excavation near the Sardoc sinkhole entrance helped clear some of these passages. A short branch off this area is marked by two debris-filled potholes. If you were to explore Grotta Virgilio today, you could potentially exit through this newer Sardoc entrance, ascending a 15-meter pothole. It offers a unique perspective on this hidden world beneath Trieste.