The Grotta dello Smeraldo (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

for "

Emerald Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr. and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991) ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York, p ...

Grotto") is a

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

, partly inundated by the sea and located in

Conca dei Marini Conca dei Marini (Campanian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. It is situated on a hill close to the coast and between Amalfi and Furore. It was perhaps founded by the Etruscans ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, on the

Amalfi Coast The Amalfi Coast ( it, Costiera amalfitana) is a stretch of coastline in southern Italy overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf of Salerno. It is located south of the Sorrentine Peninsula and north of the Cilentan Coast. Celebrated worldwide ...

Overview

The cave owes its name due to the emerald light that reverberates in it: an underwater fissure allows sunlight to filter through. The grotto, located at the

, is partly filled with sea water. The surface area of the water measures roughly 45 × 32 metres, with a cavern roof about 24 metres above water level. Formation of cave was caused by

bradyseism Bradyseism is the gradual uplift (positive bradyseism) or descent (negative bradyseism) of part of the Earth's surface caused by the filling or emptying of an underground magma chamber or hydrothermal activity, particularly in volcanic calderas. ...

(tectonic upheaval of cliffs): cliffs fractured, and the cave was formed along the fissures. Now the cave has descended, and sea water had entered it, partly flooding the stalagmites in it. Unlike the Blue Grotto, located a few kilometres to the west on

Capri Capri ( , ; ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. The main town of Capri that is located on the island shares the name. It has been ...

, the Grotta dello Smeraldo has no natural outlet above the waterline. The only opening to the outside world is just below the water level. Refracted sunlight entering the cavern through the opening gives the water its characteristic emerald glow during daylight hours. The absence of a natural opening above the waterline meant that the grotto's existence remained unknown for many years. It was discovered in 1932 by a fisherman named Luigi Buoncore. The grotto is accessible from ''Strada Statale'' 163, the main road along the Amalfi Coast. There is a small parking lot beside an elevator which takes visitors down to cave level, where they board boats that take them through the grotto.

External links

Grotta dello Smeraldo
at showcaves.com
Emerald Cave's page on Conca dei Marini website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grotta Dello Smeraldo Smeraldo Caves of Campania Smeraldo Amalfi Coast Tourist attractions in Campania

Overview

See also

External links