Miseno: the Dragonara Cave

About this activity

The Dragonara Cave is an ancient cistern from the Augustan age.If you are looking for a place rich in history and suggestion, you cannot miss this artificial cave. Dragonara is carved into the tuff promontory that drops sheer to the beach of Capo Miseno. Visiting the Miseno Cave, you will initially notice a barrel vault, divided into five irregular naves by rows of tuffaceous pillars and covered with cocciopesto, a typical hydraulic waterproofing plaster.

Observing you will see three skylights equipped with steps opening in the vault: they constituted, at one time, the access to the cistern itself. The cave is located on the furthest part of the beach and faces the beautiful island of Procida.

Why visit Dragonara Cave

Thanks to its side tunnels that seem to intertwine with each other, the Cave takes on a very distinctive appearance: it resembles a real labyrinth. To get to the Dragonara Cave you will have to cross the Miseno beach. The cistern is still full of water so you have to cross a suspension bridge. The walls are lit by a few lamps that create a very impressive effect. The play of the faint lights and the presence of the water below, makes this place truly unique and among the must-see beauties that the Phlegraean Fields offer us.

The most important things to know about Dragonara Cave in Miseno

Excavations years ago uncovered the poorly preserved remains of a nymphaeum. This is a small sacred building that was placed near fountains or freshwater springs and dedicated to a nymph. You will immediately notice the dampness: the environment is very humid due to standing water.

Curiosities about the Dragonara Cave of Miseno

Saracens and Romans used the cistern's water basin to supply their fleets, but a hypothetical private use cannot be ruled out: in fact, Lucullus' maritime villa and the Piscina Mirabile, a larger capacity cistern that functionally channeled the waters of the Serino, stand near Dragonara Cave.

During the Middle Ages, however, this cistern was identified as the Fennel Bath, due to the surrounding abundant cultivation of the vegetable, or it may also have been used as a burial site.