Grotta Tom

Beneath the surface of Trieste, near the 23rd kilometer mark of the S.S. 202, lies Grotta Tom. A seemingly unassuming entrance, barely 80cm wide, nestled at the foot of oak trees, beckons you into a world of underground wonders. Grotta Tom isn’t just a cave; it’s a testament to the memory of Tullio Tommasini, a speleologist from CGEB, whose name echoes through its chambers. The main branch of Grotta Tom stretches northwest to southeast. It begins with a low, narrow passage of mud and stone, leading to a small drop. Midway down, a tight squeeze challenges your resolve before opening into a small, decorated cavern. From here, a steep, calcified slope descends into another cavern, the air thick with the scent of damp earth. To the west, a tortuous passage reveals a window, beyond which a drop leads to yet another chamber adorned with nature’s artistry. Another calcified slope, this one even steeper, takes you deeper, a large column marking its base. Continuing downwards towards the south-southwest, two lateral niches appear. Ascending the slope to the south, you enter a small, 8-meter long passage, culminating in a short climb that brings you to the edge of a drop, connecting back to the niches. But Grotta Tom’s mysteries don’t end there. Descending the 5-meter drop near the column unveils a large ledge. This gives access to a 14-meter drop that plunges into a vast cavern. The cave branches out from this point. Heading northwest, you encounter a rising gallery choked by a massive rockslide, the stones partially calcified at first, then becoming unstable. At the base of this slide, towards the northeast, lies a spacious, richly decorated chamber. Another branch, heading south-southwest from the large cavern, slopes gently downwards for 20 meters, reaching the cave’s maximum depth of 67 meters. A 2.8-meter high column with a circumference of 8.2 meters dominates the space. Beyond it, a small cavern ascends to a 10-meter high wall. At the top of this wall, a fork in the path presents a choice. Southeast, a steep calcified slope leads to a series of small drops, ending in a terminal cavern. Southwest, a steep debris slope opens into a 10-meter drop. This drop descends into a magnificent cavern, almost 13 meters high. Its floor, a mix of stones and clay, is entirely calcified and richly decorated. From this grand cavern, heading northeast, a calcified slope ascends to an expansive cavern, 36 meters by 30 meters, dominated by an enormous 3.1-meter high stalagmite with a circumference of 6 meters. Where the passage opens into this cavern, two large, calcified boulders, one on each side, are fused to the ceiling by concretions. A passage in the wall to the south connects back to the 14-meter drop in the main branch, completing the loop. Deep within Grotta Tom, a subtle connection to another world whispers in the shadows. It is said that the cave lies close to the Tripoli cavern, and rumors persist of a hidden link between them. During excavations in Grotta Tom, noises were distinctly heard in Tripoli cavern, adding another layer of intrigue to this subterranean labyrinth.