Situated in Val Strona (Verbano-Cusio-Ossola), it is a karst complex carved into marble. The cave (speleological cadaster PI 2501 – https://catastogrotte-piemonte.net/caves-view-1751.en.html) is about 730 meters long, has more than 14 entrances, and saw marble extraction activities until the 1960s. It is the subject of many local legends and, in addition to natural formations, features tunnels and shafts also created by human activity for marble extraction. The cave consists of a fossil section, which preserves some of the original phreatic structures, and an active branch, characterized by evocative meanders in pristine white marble. The internal waters come from a loss from the Chignolo stream as well as from the overlying Intaglio Caves, and then emerge in the Strona Stream that crosses the valley.

 

Groundwater fauna of the cave is not well studied, making it interesting to carry out an eDNA assessment. Preliminary surveys highlighted the presence of an unidentified species of Niphargus (Amphipoda: Niphargidae), as well as copepods, nematodes, and other meiofaunal organisms.