If you are in Naples, you have to see a milestone of enormous cultural interest: the Grotta di Seiano (Seiano cave). It is located in the Neapolitan district of Posillipo hill, known and celebrated for its beauty and peace. Also, the name refers to its virtues, in fact, “Pausilypon” means ” rest from stress” in Latin. It is a must-see for tourists and a dream for the people of the city with its luxurious and hidden villas, the scenery, the rocks overlooking the sea.
Cave of Seiano
How to go there, tours, and info
The archaeological tour of the Grotta di Seiano starts from the end of ” discesa Coroglio”, where the first thing you see is the impressive entrance to the cave of Seiano, actually, a tunnel built during the Roman era and renovated during the reign of the Borboni. The tunnel is 780 meters long and, crossing the Posillipo hill, connects the area of Bagnoli with ” la Gaiola”. It also served as a storage place of food and drinks for ships.
As you enter it you are impressed by its light. In fact, the tunnel was built so as to get light from the entrance and the way out. The tunnel had three burrows, but nowadays only two of them are open. Legend has it that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was stuck in one of these burrows during a visit.
At the end of the cave, you will reach the famous Roman Villa of Pollio, once accessible only by sea. This is an area full of Roman remains and the Villa has retained some of the rooms, decorated with mosaics, red marble and painted wall. The theatre, built using the slope of the hill, could accommodate up to two thousand people.
The scenery around is wonderful, you can see the island of “Capri” and the whole ” costiera sorrentina”.
Seiano cave access is free and the site is open every day in the morning.