Grotta dei Briganti

Useful Information

Location:	Località Montagna Grande, 91017 Pantelleria TP. Geosite 32 (36.7775618, 12.0033015)
Open:	no restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	lava tube
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	A=816 m asl.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	C. Bucolo,E. Musumeci,A. Belfiore,F. Fonseca (2021): The first census of volcanic caves in Pantelleria 19th international symposium in vuocanospeleology - Catania 28 agosto - 3 settembre 2021. L. Civetta,Y. Cornette,P.-Y. Gillot,G. Orsi (1988): The eruptive history of Pantelleria (Sicily Channel) in the last 50 ka Bulletin of Volcanology 50, 47-57. G.A. Mahood,W. Hildreth (1983): Nested calderas and trapdoor uplift at Pantelleria, Strait of Sicily Geology 11, 722-726.
Address:	Grotta dei Briganti, Località Montagna Grande, 91017 Pantelleria TP. Pantelleria Island National Park Authority, Via San Nicola, 5, 91017 Pantelleria (TP), Tel: +39-0923-569412. E-mail: E-mail:
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History

Description

Grotta dei Briganti (Brigands’ Cave) is located right below the summit of the highest mountain of the island, Montagna Grande (836 m asl). It is probably the most famous cave of the island, because of its history which is also the origin of the name.

During the Unification of Italy a group of young men from the island were obliged to serve in the army. They refused to perform military service and instead hid inside this cave. When the police finally found them, they were publicly executed. They were called Briganti (brigands, robbers), and that’s why the cave got this name.

That's how the story is told on various webpages and on the sign at the cave. We did not understand this story, as we actually have no idea why they call conscientious objectors brigands. But we found the long version, which gives some insight into the historic events and thus explains the name of the cave quite well.

In 1861 three Piedmontese landed on the island to drive out the Bourbons who had long been lording over the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. They tried to convince the islanders to follow Garribaldi and the Risorgimento (unificatio of Italy), and the population was split into two opposing factions. Some wanted to be part the Kingdom of Italy and others wanted to remain faithful to the Two Sicilies. Fortunato Ribera, a prominent figure in the island society and belonging to a wealthy family, was appointed Governor ad acta by the Piedmontese "without a shot being fired". The three were sure that they had fulfilled their mission and returned home.
But the Panteschi are stubborn and "sciarrieri" (quarrelsome), and with the departure of the Piedmontese authority, unrest broke out. They started fights and brawls over old disputes, rekindling old feuds under the guise of the political situation. After two months, the governor was shot dead. His nephews, the three Ribera brothers, were accused of being the governor’s "vile murderers". The fact that they were members of the pro-Bourbon party was enough to justify this accusation. The Riberas fled to Malta to organize their liberation from the oppressive rule in peace. The Bourbon front grew stronger, and the Piedmontese imposed a strict curfew and arbitrarily killed Bourbon supporters. There were many reprisals and Pantelleria was excluded from the trade routes. Only one Ribera returned from Malta and gathered a handful of followers who met in the cave to organize resistance against the invaders. Soon they got known as briganti (robbers), an obvious attempt to discredit them. In 1863 the Pica Law was passed, which stated that armed groups with three or more members would be shot immediately. When nothing worked to break the resistance, the people of the north sent one of their best men, Colonel Eberhard, with four hundred men who reinforced the four hundred Pantellerian Risorgimento supporters. The brigands, who had sought refuge in the cave, were betrayed and surrounded by Piedmontese troops. Only after grueling negotiations did they surrender on the condition that none of them would be sentenced to death. They were forced to march through the city in chains and were subjected to public ridicule. Three were severely punished, and among them was Ribera. There is no exact date for the annexation of Pantelleria to the Kingdom of Italy, some historians suggest that it was three years later.

The lava is a result of an eruption between 29,000 and 35,000 years ago. This is a lava tube, which is rather rare on the island, as the volcanism tends to explosive activity (Strombolian), not to a calm outflow. The cave is rather old for a lava tube, depending on the thickness of the ceiling they are generally destroyed by erosion after 10,000 to 20,000 years. Due to the high age there are numerous cracks to the surface, and plant matter fell into the cave over a long time. The cave has many endemic animals living here. There are cave spiders of the Meta genus and many crickets and moths. Also, a colony of African long-eared bats (Plecotus gaisleri) and lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) live in the cave.

Despite being located in the Isola di Pantelleria Parco Nationale and being under protection, a visit of the cave is possible. It is an important geosite and also a biotope, so please be careful when you visit, make no damage and leave nothing behind.

The hill has a road which goes up to the summit, which is named Località Montagna Grande. The road is narrow but paved, probably as it is a service road for the installations. On the summit there are two radio stations which connect the island with the mainland, one of them is military. There is a parking lot and it is a 250 m/5 minutes hike to the cave. The cave entrance is low, helmet, headlamp and good walking shoes are recommended.