The Remeron Caves turn 100

One hundred years ago, the Remeron Caves were discovered by chance, by the vicar Don Luigi Tadini and his two friends, Gigi Orrigoni and Luigi Vittorio Bertarelli. Since then, the entrance to the complex karst system hidden beneath the Campo dei Fiori has continued to attract visitors and scientists. “It’s a treasure that Salvatore Furia had the intuition to preserve,” Giuseppe Barra, the chairman of the Campo dei Fiori Park, remembers. “Beneath this mountain, there’s a complex karst system that collects rainwater, the water that fills our waterways before it enters the lake.”
(the photos have been taken from the website www.grottaremeron.it)

In the park, more than 150 entrances have been discovered and recorded, but only two are open for exploration. “There is the Marelli Cave, in the Campo dei Fiori,” Chairman Barra explained, “which is reserved for potholers and scientists, because it’s in a natural state. Then, there are the Remeron Caves, which, thanks to the association ‘Amici delle Grotte’, today offer an environment that is important from a geological, speleological and zoological point of view.”

To celebrate the century of visits, Silvio Aimetti, the Mayor of Comerio, called for an exhibition, which opens on Saturday 18 October, in the multipurpose hall, and which remains open until 16 November.

“We are lucky to have such a natural treasure as this. But it is only thanks to the essential contribution of the association Amici delle grotte del Remeron that we can fully enjoy these treasures. This Saturday, we are also presenting a book entitled “Luci nel buio” (Lights in the darkness), which recalls the one hundred years of tourist visits to the caves. This book contains descriptions that range from the scientific to the more touristic. In the exhibition, there will be a large section dedicated to the chiropterans, or bats, that dwell in those caves, that are a valuable demonstration of the changes in the climate and environment that are taking place.”

The exhibition dedicated to bats is being organised by researchers from Insubria University, who are carrying out research on this animal, in collaboration with the University of Porto, in Portugal.

Also read about the research by Adriano Martinoli, of Insubria University.

“Thanks to a training course,” said Donatella Reggiori, on behalf of the association, “we have about twenty people who look after the caves, greet visitors and explain their geological and speleological details. Thanks to the association, it’s possible to descend more than 48m, in complete safety, and in a well-lit environment, and enjoy the beauty of an entirely new world.”

The exhibit will also remain open for school children who want learn more about an underground world that is full of scientific references.

For information and presentations of guided tours: geotour@grottaremeron.it