{{Short description|Cave in Marche region, Italy}} {{Infobox cave | name = Sibyl's Cave | other_name = {{native name|it|Grotta della Sibilla}} | photo = GrottaDellaSibilla.jpg | photo_caption = Entrance to the cave | photo_width = 250px | coordinates ={{Coord|42.90007|N|13.26559|E|display=inline,title|format=dms}} | elevation = {{convert|2150|m}} | map = Italy | relief = 1 | location = [[Montemonaco]], [[Marche]], [[Italy]] }}
'''Sibyl's Cave''' ({{Langx|it|Grotta della Sibilla}}) is a cave, located at 2,150 m above sea level, carved into the rock, near the summit of [[Sibillini Mountains]] in the [[Comune|municipality]] of [[Montemonaco]], reachable only on foot.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McCormack |first=Cassidy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q5UCAwAAQBAJ |title=L'ultima alba - Il risveglio dei Cavalieri |date=2013-04-09 |publisher=Youcanprint |isbn=978-88-911-0834-0 |language=it}}</ref>
== Description == {{Quote box | quote = ''There, above the peaks of the wild Apennines,'' <br>''Between the steep cliffs a cave appears;'' <br>''The sirens keep watch over that lighthouse,'' <br>''The songs tremble and make one delirious.'' | source = Translated from the Italian poem ''{{Ill|Sibilla (poem)|lt=Sibilla|it|Sibilla (Sartorio)}}'' by [[Giulio Aristide Sartorio]] | width = 25% }} The cave owes its name to the legend of the [[Apennine Sibyl]], according to which it was the access point to the underground kingdom of Queen Sibilla.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Paolucci |first=Luigi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=liLaAAAAMAAJ |title=La Sibilla appenninica |date=1967 |publisher=L. S. Olschki |isbn=978-88-222-1932-9 |page=46 |language=it}}</ref>
[[Andrea da Barberino]], with his [[Chivalric romance|chivalric novel]] ''[[Il Guerrin Meschino]]'', contributed to the popularization of the legend.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tJBNAAAAYAAJ |title=Il santuario dell'Ambro e l'area dei Sibillini |date=2002 |publisher=Edizioni di Studia Picena |language=it}}</ref> It tells the story of a wandering knight who went to the Sibyl to find his parents. For a year, he stayed in the cave and resisted, with all his strength, the temptations by invoking the name of [[Jesus of Nazareth]].
According to numerous [[philologists]], the legend of the Apennine Sibyl is believed to have significantly influenced the German legend of [[Tannhäuser]]. This theory is based on the numerous parallels observed between these two narratives and the story of ''Guerin Meschino''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fonzi |first=Tea |title=La Sibilla dell'Appennino: una risorsa dimenticata |date=July 2015 |volume=11 |pages=492 |language=it |issn=2039-2362}}</ref>
The underground complex was described, for the first time in 1420, by [[Antoine de la Sale]] who went to the cave on the orders of [[Agnes of Burgundy, Duchess of Bourbon|Duchess Agnes of Burgundy]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Aringoli |first1=D. |last2=Gentili |first2=B. |last3=Pambianchi |first3=G. |last4=Piscitelli |first4=A.M. |title=The contribution of the 'Sibilla Apenninicia' legend to karst knowledge in the Sibillini Mountains (Central Apennines, Italy) |url=https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=f5229b2e2894e9b320a4d03a8961b14b7104f3a5 |journal=University of Camerino |pages=332}}</ref> However, due to the landslides that had occurred in the [[early Middle Ages]] inside the cave, he could only draw (with rare precision) the topographical plan of the [[Vestibule (architecture)|vestibule]] of the cave which is still preserved intact. This document is preserved in the [[Bibliothèque nationale de France|National Library of France]].
In the mid-20th century, Lippi-Boncambi provided a recent and reliable description of the cave, which largely aligns with the earlier account by de la Sale. Lippi-Boncambi was among the final visitors to the cave prior to the collapse of its entrance. This unfortunate event was precipitated by the imprudent use of explosives, intended to widen the entrance, but instead resulted in its permanent closure.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sanvico |first=Michele |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OPrtEAAAQBAJ |title=L'Undicesima Sibilla (EPUB): Abyssus Sibyllae |publisher=Michele Sanvico |language=en}}</ref>
== Chronology of visits to the cave ==
* 69 AD - The first news comes from [[Suetonius]] when he says that [[Vitellius]] "celebrated a sacred [[vigil]] on the slopes of the [[Apennine Mountains|Apennines]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Capponi |first=Luca |date=2019-12-26 |title=La grotta sul monte del mistero Il mito della Sibilla nel corso dei secoli |url=https://www.cronachepicene.it/2019/12/26/la-grotta-sul-monte-del-mistero-il-mito-della-sibilla-nel-corso-dei-secoli/173550/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Cronache Picene |language=it-IT}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last1=Piccardi |first1=Luigi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F7pZfLUoHJIC |title=Myth and Geology |last2=Masse |first2=W. Bruce |date=2007 |publisher=Geological Society of London |isbn=978-1-86239-216-8 |pages=331–332 |language=en}}</ref> * 268 AD - According to Trebellius Pollio’s ''[[Scriptores Historiae Augustae]]'', [[Claudius Gothicus]] is said to have sought guidance from the oracle of the Apennine Sibyl.<ref name=":1" /> * 1320 - 1340 - The visit of the German knight, Her Hans van Bamborg, to the Sibilla cave can be dated back to 1338,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Santarelli |first=Giuseppe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YNyzUTWqwJAC |title=Legends of the Sibilline Mountains |date=2006 |publisher=STAF edizioni |isbn=978-88-88532-07-3 |pages=100 |language=en}}</ref> as documented by Antoine de la Sale in his work, ''Le Paradis de la reine Sibylle'' ({{Translation|Queen Sibyl's Paradise}}). However, historian Domenico Falzetti suggests a different date for this visit, proposing the year 1378 instead. * 1420 - Antoine de la Sale visited the cave in May 1420, reporting the detailed description of the morphology of the places and of the vestibule of the cave in his diary.<ref name=":0" /> * 1452 - A parchment discovered in the historical archive of the municipality of Montemonaco reveals that the area, including Montemonaco, Sibilla Lake (as referred to by the judge of the [[Marca Anconetana|Marca Anconitana]]), and Sibyl's cave, was frequented by knights from Spain and the [[Kingdom of Naples]]. These knights were known to practice alchemy and consecrate magical books at ‘''ad lacum Sibyllae''’, which would later be known as [[Lago di Pilato|Pilate's Lake]]. The entire population and authorities of the municipality of Montemonaco were excommunicated and subsequently acquitted in a trial for assisting these foreign knights in reaching Sibilla Lake and the cave. * 1578 - The year '1378' is engraved on a rock near the collapsed vestibule and remains visible today. This date, however, may have been altered from an original five, written in Arabic numerals, to a three during the 17th-18th century. This transformation was likely intended to associate the site with the birth year of [[Christian Rosenkreuz]], suggesting the presence of the [[Rosicrucianism|Rosicrucians]] in the lands of the Sibyl and their symbolic connection with the mythical cave.<ref name=":1" /> Symbols of roses and crosses, characteristic of the Rosicrucians, are found carved on the [[Architrave|architraves]] of windows and stone portals in numerous hamlets throughout the Sibylline belt, with examples dating up to the end of the 17th century. * 1610 - 1612 - Martino Bonfini [[Fresco|frescoes]] a cycle of twelve Sibyls including one with chemistry or alchemy in the {{Ill|Sanctuary of Madonna dell'Ambro|lt=sanctuary of Madonna dell'Ambro|it|Santuario della Madonna dell'Ambro}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Grady |first=Ellen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=433rdVPHU3cC |title=The Marche & San Marino |date=2006 |publisher=Somerset Books |isbn=978-1-905131-14-3 |pages=136 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Properzi |first=Emanuela |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0WqkEAAAQBAJ |title=La Sibilla e la Massoneria |date=2022-12-09 |publisher=Edizioni Nisroch |isbn=979-12-80990-19-8 |language=it}}</ref> * 1870 - The Caponecchi brothers from Nursi, also known as the Vezzanesi, conducted a [[Speleology|speleological]] exploration of the Sibilla cave. However, their exploration did not yield significant results.<ref name=":1" /> * 1885 – G.B. Miliani, precursor of modern speleology, explored the vestibule of the cave and the surrounding plain in order to find the entrance beyond the vestibule.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kbd_PxTVVU4C |title=Bollettino del Club alpino italiano |date=1887 |pages=284 |language=it}}</ref> * 1889 - On the occasion of the 21st Congress of Italian Mountaineers, held in [[Ascoli Piceno]], the Picena section of the [[Club Alpino Italiano|Italian Alpine Club]] carried out maintenance and cleaning work on the cave.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u57NAAAAMAAJ |title=Rivista alpina italiana |date=1906 |pages=293 |language=it}}</ref> On September 3, in the presence of numerous congress participants who climbed to the summit of Sibilla, a commemorative plaque of the event dictated by the engineer{{Who|date=March 2024}} was unveiled. The plaque remained visible on site until the end of the 1940s. * 1897 - Intellectuals [[Pio Rajna]] and [[Gaston Paris]] made multiple visits to the Sibilla cave.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VIYxAQAAMAAJ |title=Monatblätter zur Ergänzung der Allgemeinen Zeitung |date=1898 |pages=4 |language=de}}</ref> They also held several meetings with the administrators of the Marche region, with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of restoring the cave. * 1925 - An expedition, led by historian Falzetti, to the entrance of the Sibilla cave took place.<ref>{{Cite web |title=I misteri della Sibilla come missione: la vita di Domenico Falzetti |url=https://www.magicmountains.it/it/sibillini-stories/i-misteri-della-sibilla-come-missione-la-vita-di-domenico-falzetti/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Magicmountains.it |language=it-IT}}</ref> The team hypothesized the existence of a continuation beyond the cave’s vestibule. This discovery garnered significant attention, prompting local residents to attempt entry into the cave. Unfortunately, these attempts were uncoordinated and resulted in damage to the cave.
* 1929 - 1930 - Belgian philologist Fernand Desonay went to the cave. At the same time, Falzetti also attempted a new expedition without success.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Leed |first1=Phoebe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RMM3EAAAQBAJ |title=The Land of Piceno: The Life and Times of Le Marche, Italy |last2=Neel |first2=Nathan |date=2021-07-01 |publisher=Rondini Press |isbn=978-1-7358532-0-8 |pages=146 |language=en}}</ref> * 1946 - Tullio Colsalvatico initiated an exploration of the Sibilla cave, which was promptly halted by the Superintendence due to concerns about the potential use of explosives for cave penetration.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Sanvico |first=Michele |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_dvqEAAAQBAJ |title=L'Undicesima Sibilla - Edizione Speciale: Abyssus Sibyllae |date=2016-03-15 |publisher=Michele Sanvico |pages=133 |language=it}}</ref> Concurrently, geologist Lippi Boncampi conducted a study on [[karst]] formations in the [[Sibillini Mountains|Sibillini mountains]]. This study included the first official report on the underground structure of the Sibilla cave, supplemented with technical documents such as topographies, sections, and plans. * 1952 - In an effort to boost tourism in the region, General Emidio Santanché, a diviner and the president of the Ascoli Piceno Tourist Board, embarked on an expedition to the Sibilla cave.<ref name=":1" /> * 1953 - Domenico Falzetti, Fernand Desonay, and General Emidio Santanchè, along with Giovanni Annibali, the Superintendent of Archaeological Heritage, initiated a systematic excavation of the Sibilla cave. They found an inscription reading “AV. P. 1378”, along with an old knife, a spur, and a coin. The coin was identified as a {{Ill|Double tournois|lt=double tournois|fr|Double tournois}} of [[Henry II of France]], dating back to the 16th century.<ref name=":2" /> * 1953 - 1968 - During this period, the vestibule of the cave finally collapses and the last stone plaques, engraved with various inscriptions, still located at the entrance to the vestibule, are probably stolen. * 1968 - It is the year of the first study campaign carried out with modern equipment, for geoelectrical surveys, conducted by the [[Pesaro]] geologist Odescalchi commissioned by the Ascoli Piceno Tourism Board. Odescalchi managed to capture some anomalies probably attributable to the existence of a tunnel beyond the vestibule of the cave.<ref name=":2" /> * 1983 - 1984 - Giuseppe Antonini, a member of the Marche Speleological Group of [[Ancona]], was tasked by the Marche Region to investigate the existence of a descending tunnel beyond the vestibule of the Sibilla cave, as reported by Odescalchi.<ref name=":0" /> This investigation involved explorations both at the countryside level beyond the so-called Crown that encircles the peak of Mount Sibilla and encompasses the cave, and within the Crown itself. Unfortunately, due to adverse weather conditions and challenging working circumstances, the Marche Speleological Group was compelled to abandon the venture. * 1997 - 2000 - The "Elissa" cultural project of Montemonaco coordinated by Anna Maria Piscitelli and chaired by Paolo Aldo Rossi of the [[University of Genoa]], started a scientific project on the Apennine Sibyl and her cave.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elissa Congress in Montemonaco and Ascoli Piceno (Italy) |url=https://www.alchemywebsite.com/elissa_congress.html |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=www.alchemywebsite.com}}</ref> Between 1998 and 2000, a series of three conferences and multiple round tables were organized. These events saw the participation of renowned scholars from both national and international backgrounds. The primary objective was to compile a comprehensive corpus of historical, literary, and anthropological data related to the myth of the Sibilla cave. Additionally, the scientific findings from previous investigations into the cave were also gathered. * 2000 - The ''Grotta della Sibilla appenninica'' Promotion Committee, with the patronage of the Archaeological Superintendency of the Marche, with the participation of the Department of Earth Sciences of the [[University of Camerino]], promoted geological and geophysical investigations at the "Grotta della Sibilla" site.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Le formazioni glaciali sui Monti Sibillini |url=https://www.magicmountains.it/it/sibillini-stories/la-sibilla-appenninica-dallantica-grecia-ad-oggi/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Magicmountains.it |language=it-IT}}</ref> The results of the georadar surveys confirmed the existence of a vast underground complex at a depth of 15 meters below the ground level, made up of [[Labyrinth|labyrinthine]] tunnels and notable cavities approximately 150 m long. The summary of the studies was published in the proceedings of the conference '<nowiki/>''Shaman Sibilla of the mountains and the Apennine cave'''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rossi |first=P. A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wjApKQEACAAJ |title=Sibilla sciamana della montagna e la grotta appenninica |date=2011 |publisher=Laterza Giuseppe Edizioni |isbn=978-88-8231-595-5 |language=it}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Sibillini Mountains]] * [[Monte Sibilla]] * [[Cumaean Sibyl]]
== References == {{Reflist}} [[Category:Apennine Mountains]] [[Category:Sibyls]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Ascoli Piceno]] [[Category:Geography of Marche]] [[Category:Caves of Italy]]