Cave of Santa Barbara

Below the Corona area of Agerola, on a high west-facing limestone cliff at about 600 metres above sea level, karst processes have hollowed out several caves. In the area called Santa Barbara three caves housed a medieval hermit settlement, of which stretches of masonry, the ruins of a vaulted room and part of the stairway that climbed to the main cave remain.On the plateau in front of the largest cave, beyond a square courtyard, stands the church of Santa Barbara, which gave the place its name: three naves and three apses, with the central nave dating from the 12th-13th century. Today the site is not accessible, but we like to remember it as one of the most evocative examples of cave life in the Monti Lattari.