Lava Cube Cave

Territory: Etna South – Nicolosi
Coordinates: 33S 500440E 4168375N (wgs84) | 37°39'45.2″N 15°00'17.7″E
ELEVATION: 1165 m
Development: approximately 25m.
Nearest known location: Monte Guardiola
Exploration: visitable with only helmet and lights.
Taken over by Dario Teri and Paolo Teri (on 12.02.2021/XNUMX/XNUMX)
Notified to the relevant municipality on: nd

: The Lava Cube Cave is located on the lavas of the 1886 fractures of Monte Gemmellaro. Not far away there are some old tracks that are not easy to travel due to the growing vegetation of broom on the volcanic lava flow that at times interrupts the mule tracks used in the past to reach Monte Grosso and Monte Gemmellaro. The cavity is located in a place that is not easy to locate and therefore it is necessary to reach it only using the coordinates and as mentioned it is necessary to cross the rocky and unstable lava fields for which it is recommended to pay attention. The morphology of the cave, of modest development but about three meters high, is however very unusual and interesting, as it has a square shape, hence the voluntary typo of Grotta Lava Cube (and not lava tube) as suggested by the nature guide Antonio Scaramelli. The hypogeum is accessed from a collapse of the vault in its final part and also has a collapse on the vault about halfway along the length that lets in sunlight illuminating it almost completely making the environment suggestive. It is not believed to be a new cave, but certainly little known, due to the presence of a little man near it and the fact that the place was frequented by shepherds.