Location: | From Lettomanoppello follow SP65 about 2.5 km towards Passo Lanciano. Turn off right on the first single lane road on top of the hill. About 1.5 km walk tpo the valley floor, the cave is on the left side. |
Open: |
No restrictions. [2015] |
Fee: |
free. [2015] |
Classification: | River cave Cave Church |
Light: | n/a |
Dimension: | |
Guided tours: | |
Photography: | Allowed |
Accessibility: | No |
Bibliography: | |
Address: | Grotta di Sant'Angelo Lettomanoppello, Parco Nazionale della Majella, Vallone di S. Angelo, 65020 Lettomanoppello PE, Tel: +39-085-922343. |
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The Grotta di S. Angelo near Lettomanoppello is an old hermitage, which is today a favourite religious destination. The grotta is not a deep karst cave, it is a river cave formed by the erosion of the river creating an overhanging cliff face. The cave was used as a shelter by hermits, at least according to local lore. Today the cave is almost empty, showing some traces of human changes. It contains a fine stone statue of St. Michael the Archangel, who is worshiped in many caves in southern Italy. The statue originates from the Middle Ages and was made of the typical limestone of the Majella. Today the cave contains a copy while the original statue is exhibited in the Museo delle Genti d'Abruzzo at Pescara.