ItalyThe Pertosa Caves (Grotte di Pertosa-Auletta) are a karst cave system in the Alburni mountains of Campania, Italy, formed over 35 million years ago. They are the only caves in Europe to preserve the remains of a pile-dwelling village dating to the 2nd millennium BC, built over an underground river. Occupied continuously from prehistory to the Middle Ages, the caves served as shrines to pagan fertility gods and later the Archangel Michael. A Hellenistic cult structure was discovered in 2025. The site lies within the Cilento UNESCO Global Geopark.
Pertosa Caves
| Type | Cave Structures |
|---|---|
| Period | 1 - 500 AD |
| Country | Italy |
| Coordinates | 40.5371° N, 15.4554° E |