Grotte del Caglieron

Grotte del Caglieron, also known as the Caves of Caglieron, are a must-see if driving through northern Italy.  The caves are located in Breda di Fregona, in the province of Treviso, 60 kilometers north of Venice. The area consists of numerous waterfalls, caves, and winding pathways. You can also visit an ancient watermill and restaurant just down creek from the caves.

The Caves of Caglieron consist of both human-made and natural cavities. The man-made caves were created by mining activity dating back to the 1500s. Miners removed sandstone from the caves and used it for construction projects such as jambs and architraves on the palaces and houses around Vittorio Veneto, which can still be seen today. What's interesting is the technique the miners used to extract the stone. The layers were extracted on an incline greater than 45 degrees with large chisels. The blocks of stone were removed while simultaneously leaving behind large support columns.

The natural part of the cave is actually a deep gorge with inclined walls that close for a stretch, giving the appearance of a cave. The gorge was carved by the flowing waters of the Caglieron stream. Due to the constant temperature and gradual decrease of light in the deepest part of the caves, a series of micro-environments of notable botanical and zoological interest can be observed.

The path is approximately 1 kilometer long and starts from a pedestrian walkway that crosses the Caglieron stream. Numerous descriptive panels can be found along the path. The first cave you will encounter on the right is the cave of the Breda. This is a large cave characterized by inclined columns supporting the sandstone ceiling. A short distance down the path on the left is the grotta di San Lucio, a cave for aging the grotta cheese of the Agricansiglio dairy. Continuing along the path are numerous lookouts and suspended catwalks from which you can admire the natural gorge and flowing waterfalls. At the end of the path through the gorge is an ancient water mill and restaurant. The path then turns and heads up a steep hill passing two small renovated houses destined to become a museum dedicated to the stonemasons' ancient craft. The path ends by exiting directly onto the Provincial Road 151 in front of the cave of Santa Barbara, a cave previously used as a mushroom farm.