NATURAL CAVES IN APULIA DEDICATED TO THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL

The Lombards reserved a special devotion to the Archangel Michael, so much so that the micaelico sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo, the destination of an uninterrupted pilgrimage as early as the 5th century (but the cult in the cave already existed in the 4th century), became the national sanctuary of the Lombards when they settled in southern Italy.

In addition to the well-known sacred speco of Monte Sant’Angelo, there are numerous natural caves in Apulia dedicated to St. Michael or St. Angelo that are also recorded in the Cave Cadastre:

Cave Cadastre No. Map No. Location Name
PU_4 4 Putignano (BA) Grotta di San Michele a Monte Laureto
PU_12 12 Castellana Grotte (BA) Grave di S. Giacomo (formerly Grotta di San Michele)
PU_30 30 Minervino Murge (BT) Grotta di San Michele
PU_202 * Monte Sant’Angelo (FG) Grotta di San Michele
PU_211 * Cagnano Varano (FG) Grotta di San Michele
PU_262 * Sannicandro Garganico (FG) Grotta dell’Angelo
PU_392 392 Statte (TA) Grotta di Sant’Angelo
PU_453 453 Lizzano (TA) Grotta di Sant’Angelo
PU_491 491 Bari (BA) Grotta di Sant’Angelo di Cammarata
PU_526 * Ceglie Messapica (BR) Grotta di San Michele
PU_653 * Orsara di Puglia (FG) Grotta di San Michele
PU_879 879 Santeramo in Colle (BA) Grotta di Sant’Angelo
PU_1096 1096 Massafra (TA) Grotta di San Michele a Varcaturo
PU_1232 1232 Andria (BT) Grotta di Sant’Angelo a Gurgo
PU_1588 1588 Altamura (BA) Grotta di San Michele a Curtaniello
PU_1874 1874 Mottola (TA) Grotta di San Michele a Casalrotto

(*) off the map

Certainly, some were already frequented in pre-classical times, such as the Grotta di Sant’Angelo in Statte (TA); some were carved out of primitive natural caves and later enlarged, such as the Grotta di San Michele in Orsara di Puglia; others have been destroyed, such as the Grotta di Sant’Angelo di Cammarata in Bari, demolished by a quarry front, or the Grave di San Giacomo in Castellana Grotte, formerly consecrated to St Michael, which is now inaccessible as it is used as a receptacle for waste water.

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