| Grotta Gigante Giant Cave |
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| Country: | Italy | |||
| Region: | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | |||
| Province: | Trieste | |||
| Municipality: | Sgonico | |||
| Coordinates: | ||||
| Time zone: | CET, UTC+1 | |||
| Type: | Karst cave | |||
| Length: | 280 m (920 ft) | |||
| Elevation: | 265 amsl | |||
| Depth: | 115 m (377 ft) | |||
| Website | Grotta Gigante | |||
Grotta Gigante ("Giant Cave", Slovene: Briškovska jama), also known as Riesengrotte or as Grotta di Brisciachi, is a giant cave on the Italian side of the Trieste Carso, in the municipality of Sgonico. Its central cavern is 107 metres (351 ft) high, 65 metres (213 ft) wide and 130 metres (430 ft) long putting it in the 1995 Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest tourist cave.
The cave contains many large stalactites and stalagmites, many of exceptional beauty. A feature of the stalagmites is their "dish-pile" appearance, formed by water dropping from up to 80 m (260 ft) above and depositing calcium carbonate over a wide area.
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The enormous hall is 107 m (351 ft) high, 130 m (430 ft) long and 65 m (213 ft) large. A steep yet comfortable path with atmospheric electric lighting allows the visitor to spend about 45 minutes in this impressive underground world with its rich calcite concretions, the highest of which is no less than 12 m (39 ft) high.
The exceptional characteristics, and the constant temperatures in the giant cave throughout the year, have suggested the positioning of two geodetic pendula, 100 m (330 ft) high approximately (the longest in the world) and other scientific instruments.
The cave was first explored by Antonio Federico Lindner in 1840. In those days, the karst behind Trieste was being searched for the underground water of the Timavo river so as to be able to plan the city's aqueduct. In 1897, it was fully mapped by Andrea Perko, in 1905, properly equipped for guided tours and in 1908, inaugurated. After World War I, ownership went to the Julian Alpine Society. Tourism only really began in 1957, when electricity was installed, unveiling new perspectives and details.
The Museum of speleology is near the cave and besides the various speleological, geological and paleontological finds it also includes some valuable archeological pieces and a poster collection of the cave. Two wide parking lots are available on the outside. Visits are scheduled in good times and with expert guides.
Media related to Grotta Gigante at Wikimedia Commons