Top 20 Caves around Altavilla Vicentina

The Hermitage of San Cassiano is a little gem of the Berici Hills: a small and ancient building nestled in an imposing rock face, along a narrow ledge, overlooking the eastern plain, in a silent and suggestive environment. It is a building that in its current appearance dates back to the 17th century, erected by incorporating the remains of the ancient church of San Cassiano from the 6th-7th century: the small parish church was built in correspondence with a cave that served as an apse, closed by walls; thirteen tombs carved into the rock were discovered here, ten of which are still visible. N.B.: the hermitage is open only on the first Sunday of each month, managed by a group of volunteers, with free admission and a guided tour (free donation). https://sites.google.com/site/clubspeleologicoproteo/eremodisancassiano?authuser=0

Going to the Grotta di San Bernardino is like taking a step back in time, an experience that touches the heart and mind. Imagine finding yourself in the same place where, thousands of years ago, prehistoric men lit fires and hunted, and where, in the Middle Ages, hermits sought refuge. This cave has seen a succession of stories of hunting, prayer and refuge. Visiting the cave is a way to connect with the history of the area and to live an experience full of emotions.

This unique, rare, and fascinating two-story cave dwelling was ingeniously carved out of a depleted stone quarry, sealing off the openings and creating internal spaces with walls, exploiting every nook and cranny until it completely integrated with the quarry. This cave dwelling is known as 'Sengia dei Meoni,' after the last family who lived there until 1959. But on August 11th of that year, during a violent storm, lightning struck from the chimney, starting a fire, shaking the walls and making the building uninhabitable. The family survived, but the dwelling was permanently abandoned. It was restored in 2013, with original rustic furnishings from the early 1900s, becoming a museum open only on specific months, days, and times: a blast from the past! For information: https://www.facebook.com/p/Museo-della-Pietra-a-Zovencedo-Coop-Scatola-Cultura-100063707821673/?locale=it_IT

From Mossano (near the town hall), follow the clearly visible signs, path 81, which after a short descent leads you uphill between old mills, accompanied by the sweet sound of the stream.

The Valle dei Mulini of Mossano and path 81 take you to a wonderful corner of the Berici, where history, traditions and nature come together to give those who travel it a unique experience of peace and tranquility. It is a path also suitable for children, easy and always well maintained.

Hermitage of San Cassiano From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The Hermitage of San Cassiano is located in Lumignano, a hamlet of Longare, a municipality in the province of Vicenza. The hermitage, inserted into the eastern rocky wall of the Monte della Croce di Lumignano, is a construction that dates back to the 17th century, built by incorporating the remains of the ancient church of San Cassiano from the 6th-7th century which was located in today's room on the north side of the building. Inserted into the eastern rock face of the Monte della Croce di Lumignano, it is a building that dates back to the 17th century, built by incorporating the remains of the ancient church of San Cassiano from the 6th-7th century[1] which was located in today's room on the north side of the building. The ancient church was built in correspondence with a den that served as an apse, closed by walls, the lower parts of which were brought to light by the 1994 excavation. Thirteen tombs carved into the rock were discovered here, ten of which are still visible. We can distinguish pits of rectangular or trapezoidal shape, of elliptical shape and other anthropomorphic ones, with a hollow where the head of the deceased rested, dating back to a period between the 5th and 9th centuries. Inscriptions engraved on a tombstone were also found, the only one found on site; others are carved directly on the rock face where the pits were created. Tradition has it that here, in the 12th century, Adelaide of Burgundy, empress of the Franks and queen of Italy, found refuge for some time after escaping the imprisonment imposed on her by Berengar when King Lothair II, her husband, was assassinated in 1137. It is also said that, as long as she lived, the grateful queen sent gifts to the penitents who retreated here to pray[2]. The complex became the private property of the Padua Dottori family from the 17th century until the end of the 18th, when it passed to Nicolò Leoni who in 1825 sold it to the Da Schio family, to whom it still belongs.

Apart from the first Sunday of the month the hermitage is closed by a gate and the hermitage is not even visible from there, so it is not worth going up, except for a walk in the woods.

Natural caves near the church of San Donato. Beautiful view of the plain and the Euganei.