By Massimo Ziino
Every time I come home to Italy, and specifically to Tuscany, I get the urge to visit my friends at Grotta Giusti. This extraordinary place, totally unique among its kind, is located in Monsummano Terme in the province of Pistoia.
Grotta Giusti is an underground karst cave, which intersects with a thermal aquifer som feet from the surface, and takes its name from the Giusti family, owners of the limestone quarry which once stood here. The cave itself was discovered by pure chance, in the spring of 1849, when some quarry workers broke through the roof of the cavity; by throwing stones into the void they quickly realized they had stumbled upon an important discovery, an impressively vast underground cavity with the presence of water. I often imagine those first wide-eyed excursions into this hot and humid underground world; lamp-lit explorations, which slowly revealed the mysterious 1,000-foot cavity in all its natural glory, with lakes, winding corridors, stalactites and stalagmites. The elevated internal air and water temperatures, the humidity level and the impressive size of the cave led the owner, Domenico Giusti, to consider the possibility of its therapeutic potential, and in fact a spa complex was built around the entrance to the cave just a few years later.
The waters, at 93F (34C), were indeed beneficial and Grotta Giusti’s fame quickly spread throughout Italy and abroad.
For many years it was a meeting place for intellectuals, politicians, artists and poets, national and European elite. Giuseppe Giusti, the son of the owners, became an important poet during the 19th century Italian Risorgimento. Many distinguished guests enjoyed the therapeutic benefits of the waters, including Giuseppe Garibaldi who visited in 1867, while composer Giuseppe Verdi later called Grotta Giusti “eighth wonder of the world.”
Over the years it has been developed into what is now a modern and technologically advanced spa complex, with a hotel, fitness center, beauty salon, convention center and an open-air thermal swimming pool.
Despite all this business development and activity, the current owners also allow diving in the underground lake, which makes this place totally unique. Luciano Tanini leads a group of dive guides who make this experience possible, accompanying divers in the exploration of the flooded fracture. The depth is not excessive, never more than 60 feet (18m), and the equipment needed is similar to that used in cave diving.
Dive organization is impeccable, and the guides are highly experienced; divers are given a substantial and thorough briefing, after which they can proceed into the water. The dive starts in the lake known as “Limbo,” which is reached via a vertical ladder a few feet high, after passing through a cavity lined with impressive rock formations. Divers access the cave directly from the spa structure, and in my experience it’s the only place in the world where the entrance to a cave dive is so comfortable and luxurious.
Forget your wetsuit — swimwear, T-shirt and sport shoes are the right gear for these warm waters. In some areas, the underwater corridors are just wide enough to pass through, and occasionally you ascend to air pockets where you can immediately share the sensations of this incredible dive with your buddies.
Good buoyancy is important, as the dive route through the cave includes frequent changes in depth. These may only be a few feet each time, but nonetheless these small ascents and descents require well-tuned skills.
Although you’ll feel as though you could stay for hours, given the water temperature it’s best not to overdo it; in fact, when you come out, you will immediately feel the physical benefits of the thermal waters, but you may also feel a little “cooked.”
The photographic opportunities are stunning and endless, but professional equipment is necessary to get good results; in particular, powerful lighting is critical. The clear and limpid water is perfect for good shots, just be sure to move well and carefully, without kicking up sediment.
I don’t think there’s any other dive site like this in the world, and I’ve certainly never found anything that compares. Diving in Grotta Giusti is an amazing experience for any divers with a strong exploratory spirit, in search of new and unique sensations and experiences.
For more information:
http://www.grottagiustispa.com
