The Frasassi Caves in Italy were discovered in 1971. More precisely, the major cave system known today was found on 25 September 1971 by a group of speleologists from Ancona led by Giancarlo Cappanera, near San Vittore and Genga in Italy’s Marche region.
The discovery followed earlier exploration. A farmer had found an entrance in 1948, and additional entrances were located during the 1950s and 1960s by members of the Italian Alpine Club. The 1971 exploration revealed the spectacular Grotta Grande del Vento, or “Great Cave of the Wind,” which became the centerpiece of the tourist complex.
Frasassi is a karst cave system shaped in limestone by water. Its passages contain abundant stalactites and stalagmites, while the enormous Abisso Ancona chamber measures roughly 180 by 120 metres and is nearly 200 metres high. The caves opened to visitors in 1974, so 1971 refers to the major discovery—not the beginning of every exploration in the area.