Toirano Cave Complex

Five people and a large 40kg dog explore the Toirano cave complex: two adults and three children, one of whom is about three years old. Walking in single file, they leave behind hundreds of footprints, hand prints, and knee prints. 14,400 years later, their traces provide us with one of the most important records of the history of Homo sapiens in Europe.The prints are concentrated in the Bàsura Cave (from the Ligurian word for “witch”), one of the two caves open to visitors within the Toirano complex, which in total includes four caves. The discovery of the cave and traces of the prehistoric family dates back to the 1950s.The dog's tracks are a treasure within a treasure: they are the oldest evidence of dog domestication as a pet, dating back to the Palaeolithic period!In the deepest chamber of the same cave, you can also find remains of great palaeontological interest: a large accumulation of cave bear bones, dating from between 50,000 and 28,000 years ago.  This environment was clearly favoured by animals as a place for their long winter hibernation.An artificial tunnel connects the Bàsura Cave to the Santa Lucia Inferiore Cave, which is also open to visitors. The tunnel allows you to follow a one-way route of about 1km. Inside the Santa Lucia Cave, nature takes centre stage: the walls are covered with limestone formations that resemble white coral, sparkling with delicate aragonite crystals, while the largest stalactite along the route forms an impressive column eight metres high.But this cave also served as a shelter for the families of Toirano during the bombings of World War II: families took refuge in its deepest chamber, known as the Tanone, which today hosts educational workshops and summer concerts.To discover more secrets, why not visit the nearby Val Varatella Prehistoric Museum?