Apulian folklore: the legend of Zinzulusa Cave

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Apulia is characterized by its wide and varied historical and folkloric heritage, much like that of other southern Italian regions. This baggage includes many tales, legends, traditions, fairy tales and songs that tell of adventures, pranks, comic and tragic situations.

Having been a transit territory to the Holy Land, local folklore is nevertheless also imbued with a strong religious spirit, even touching on the supernatural and mysticism. One of the best-known legends of Apulian culture is that of the so-called Cave of Zinzulusa.

It is a fantastic tale perhaps spread to give a rational explanation for some scientific events that were inexplicable for ancient times. It is still one of the most beloved in Apulia, especially because of the charm of the place that serves as the backdrop to the story. In fact, the legend of Zinzulusa refers to a natural cavity discovered in the late 18th century on the Salento coast.

Discovering the Cave of Zinzulusa

The Zinzulusa Cave is a natural cavern located on the Salento coast, specifically between Castro and Santa Cesarea Terme. The name probably comes from the dialect word "zinzuli" meaning rags, and refers to the karst formations that hang from the ceiling and precisely resemble hanging rags. For others, the name comes from the name of a tree typical of the area in the past, the jujube, called zinzulusa.

The Apulian cave was formed by the action of marine erosion and is supposed to date back to the Pliocene geological period. However, it was discovered only in 1793 by Antonio Francesco del Duca, Bishop of Castro, and has been studied in detail since the last century. Many findings Paleolithic and Neolithic, as well as artifacts from the Roman period and fossils of animals such as birds, bears, deer and felines.

Zinzulusa was officially opened to the public in 1957. It covers a length of 260 meters and is divided into 3 main areas. The first part is called the Conca and is an elliptical-shaped cave that juts out into the longest section of the cave, the Corridor of Wonders.

Here there are beautiful stalactites and stalagmites that create spectacular scenery and also have curious names such as Sword of Damocles, Ham and Pulpit. In this corridor there is also a pond called Trabocchetto that leads to the second area, the Crypt or Cathedral, a smaller cave filled with limestone columns. It is 25 meters high and has served as a refuge for bats for centuries. To top it off, there is the Cocito, a tiny enclosed basin that over time has become a kind of underwater hypogeum.

Tourists are currently allowed to enter up to 150 meters from the entrance, as the rest of the cave is a protected area. A nativity scene is also set up inside during the Christmas season, and in 1968 it hosted some scenes from Carmelo Bene's film Our Lady of the Turks.

The Legend of the Cave of Zinzulusa

The Zinzulusa Cave is therefore a wonderful tourist spot that deserves to be visited for its incredible beauty, but it has also become popular for the legend that has been passed down for a very long time now.

According to tradition, near the cave lived the Baron of Castro, master of the land around the village. He was a wicked and evil man, but also very so and it seems that he had let his wife die of grief, making his poor daughter clothe herself in only rags. His avarice was so boundless that, despite his great wealth of money, he preferred to hoard his possessions rather than spend a few pennies to dress his little daughter worthily.

Deprived of her father's love and care, the little girl grew sad and disconsolate. One day a good fairy went to the little girl to give her a new dress and tear off the old, filthy ones she was wearing. The rags flew in the wind until they reached the walls of the cave, where they would petrify. Since then the cave has been called Zinzulusa.

The Baron was launched from the fairy in the waters below the cave and at the spot where it had lain, infernal waters leaked out, creating the Cocito Pond. Legend then says that the crustaceans who witnessed this event were blinded forever. Instead, the little girl married a handsome and kind prince and finally lived happily ever after.