Sibyl's Cave

[1] There, above the peaks of the wild Apennines, Between the steep cliffs a cave appears; The sirens keep watch over that lighthouse, The songs tremble and make one delirious.

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.

[4] 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 Duchess Agnes of Burgundy.

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.

This unfortunate event was precipitated by the imprudent use of explosives, intended to widen the entrance, but instead resulted in its permanent closure.