Places
Cave·Easy·Scenic·Hidden gem
Grotta della Poesia, Otranto
Puglia
The Grotta della Poesia near Roca Vecchia above Otranto has the world's largest collection of prehistoric rock graffiti — over 3,000 inscriptions in Messapic, Greek, Latin and undeciphered scripts, dating from 1700 BC to the Roman period. The cave is a coastal sinkhole open to the sky. Votive offerings to Zis (the Messapic sky god) were thrown into the cave from above. Extraordinary site.
Duration
1.5 hours
Distance
3 km
Elevation
+20 m
Best season
Year-round
Highlights
- World's largest collection of prehistoric rock graffiti — 3,000 inscriptions
- Scripts in Messapic, Greek, Latin and undeciphered languages
- Coastal sinkhole open to sky — votive offerings thrown from above
With your dog
Coastal cave; dogs on leash.
