• Emilia-Romagna

• Regional Parks

• Apennines - Urban Areas

• Duration: 2-3 hours (back and forth)
• Difference in height: the stretch faced during the guided tours is mainly plain

The entrance of Spipola Cave is situated at 135 meters of altitude at the bottom of the homonymous doline, and it is mainly artificial: it was built by Gruppo Speleologico Bolognese in 1936, during the works carried out to safeguard the cave from frequent vandalisms. The natural entrance, called Bus d'la Speppla or Buco del Calzolaio, is situated at a higher level - 165m of altitude - and it is from here that Luigi Fantini and other speleologists of the GSB entered the cave. However, this entrance was closed as soon as the lower one became available. 

The cave was protected up to 1940, while since then it has been continuously damaged, not only because it was used as a refuge during the last war, but also because of occasional visitors. It was closed in 1995 by the GSB-USB on behalf of the Park, which has also modified the whole tourist route considering the reduction of the environmental impact, according to what signaled by Società Speleologica Italiana. The works, which have been limited to the restoration of the ones dating back to 1936, led to the installation of five survey stations measuring the temperature and humidity values.