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Cave of Strapatente

Arma della Strapatente (Ph: Provincia di Savona)
Grotta Strapatente - ingresso nord (Ph: Provincia di Savona) Grotta Strapatente - ingresso sud (Ph: Provincia di Savona) Grotta Strapatente - interno (Ph: Provincia di Savona) L'altare-pietra della Strapatente L'altare-pietra della Strapatente

Surrounded by high, white cliffs made of the so-called "Stone of Finale", the Strapatente Cave is a natural tunnel dating back to the Miocene, located under a large rock called "Bastion of Boragni", which allows you to cross the mountain from one side to the other.

The northern entrance is reached by a path that branches off from the small car-park above the village of Boragni, after passing through an area full of climbing walls, immersed in a dense vegetation. From here you go down, with the help of a flashlight, a steep passage up to the south entrance, surrounded by numerous stalactites, stalagmites and columns fully formed.

The noise and the sight of the dropping limestone water from the roof down to the ground is very suggestive. From the south exit you can enjoy a view of the wild Nava Valley, from where the path continues to the nearby Balconi Cave.

On the clifftop above the north entrance of the cave, there is the Strapatente Dolmen, a megalithic structure, perhaps a stone altar, which is supposed to date back to the Bronze Age. It consists of a large horizontal slab made of the stone of “Finale”, supported by five smaller stones. The horizontal surface has two adjoining cups, probably used for the collection of liquids during religious rituals. It is likely that the dolmen was used also as an astronomical observatory, considering its orientation on the meridian.

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Design: Provincia di Savona | Credits e note legali