I had never been in a cave before and I confess that the idea of entering the bowels of the earth in the dark did not interest me that much but, when the visit to the Grotte di Toirano began, it was love at first sight for those extraordinary rock formations.
Inside the Toirano caves
The itinerary in the Toirano Caves consists of three caves joined together by a tourist route of over one kilometer and which have very different characteristics. The first cave has been known since prehistoric times when some men entered it, probably moved by curiosity, to explore these ravines. It is possible to see the footprints and handprints of these first men in the ground trying to pass through tiny passages between the rocks and the guides show you the prehistoric graffiti they left on the caves’ walls.
Today the route is much smoother because wooden walkways and stairs have been built and a spectacular electric lighting has been installed, but you can still imagine the feeling that those first explorers felt as they ventured through the cave with torches.
The astonishment in front of the white rows of stalactites and the imposing stalagmites that draw strange and delicate draperies must have been the same the modern visitors feel when they visit this amazing place.
But not only humans visited the place, in fact the guide told us that over 20,000 years ago in this first cave in Toirano some bears found refuge during the winter months to hibernate and even today you can admire the remains of the bones of over 100 species that died from natural causes and remained buried under the mud.
Inside the Toirano caves, stalactites
In the ‘60s, some speleologists demolished a small limestone wall at the bottom of the cave of the Basure (which in Ligurian dialect means ‘witches’), which is the name of the first of the three caves and these speleologists discovered a new cave that remained for a long time watertight giving birth to stalactites and stalagmites.
In the second group of these Ligurian caves there is a special effect called mammellonaria, unusual formations with a roundish appearance which look like dilated bodies.
The third and last of the Grotte di Toirano is that of Santa Lucia. This cave was once connected by a long artificial tunnel which was then closed down and the limestone contained in the cave gave birth to wonderful concretions reminiscent of coral rocks and flowers of an intense red color due to the presence of oxide.
When the tunnel was reopened, the two caves reappeared with the consequent formation of new white stalactites. The growth rate of stalactites is really very slow, so you are literally ecstatic when you reach the hall in front of the imposing column over 6 meters which is estimated to be around 3 million years old.
The last part of the cave of Santa Lucia has been known for centuries and has also been used as a bomb shelter during the World Wars. Today it is a natural cellar for aging wines and periodically, thanks to its excellent acoustics, concerts are held that make the visit to the Toirano Caves even more fascinating.
It is not possible to access the Toirano caves alone, but it is necessary to participate in guided tours that take place at regular intervals every half hour. The internal temperature of the caves is quite cold, about 12 degrees, so it is advisable to wear suitable clothing and a pair of good trekking shoes because the ground is very slippery in some places.
