The Caves of Scurati in Custonaci

The prehistoric settlements in the Scurati Caves in Custonaci

The prehistoric settlement of the Scurati Caves in Custonaci is located in the province of Trapani and includes several examples of prehistoric settlements. A tour in this area allows you to discover the presence of man since ancient times and to imagine the evolution of human beings over the millennia. Here's everything you need to know to organize your visit.

The history of the prehistoric settlement of the Scurati Caves in Custonaci

The Scurati Caves are located in the immediate vicinity of Custonaci and are of exceptional importance because they represent the testimony of how prehistoric men lived and fed. In addition to this, there is also a small village in the area which was inhabited by the locals from the early XNUMXth century until the first decade of the XNUMXth century.

The discovery of this immense historical heritage dates back to 1870 when Guido Dalla Rosa, a marquis with a passion for archaeological excavations, discovers the presence of numerous caves that preserve drawings and other finds inside them. Later, in 1925, the research works were resumed by Frenchman Raymond Vaufrey, a paleontologist who was the first to understand that those drawings and graphite objects were the clear sign that those caves had been home to thousands of men and women.

More recently it was Sebastian Tusa, an Italian academic, to carry out the excavations of the area on behalf of the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage of Trapani. In reality there is much more to discover, to piece together the history of humanity piece by piece through the classification of all the finds of the daily life of prehistoric men.

The architecture and any works of art present

The complex of the prehistoric settlement of the Scurati Caves in Custonaci actually includes as many as nine caves inside of which prehistoric men took refuge to protect themselves from bad weather and from the attack of wild animals.
The most famous of the caves is certainly that of Bread Eater while the others, no less beautiful, are there Buffa, that of the Crucifix, the Romanian Grotto, that of Miceli, that of Cufuni, the Grotta della Clava, that of Maria Santissima and finally the one known by the name of Abyss of Purgatory.

La Mangiapane is the most famous not only for its considerable size (70 meters high, 13 wide and 50 deep) but also because it was inhabited until the XNUMXs, precisely by the Mangiapane family who had transformed it into a veritable own home.
In 2004, further excavations were carried out inside this cave which brought to light some examples of prehistoric pottery, according to experts dating back as far as Early and Middle Neolithic.

About 100 meters ahead of the main cave there is a second one which is called Eater II and that in the excavations of 1925 uncovered the remains of a ceramic hearth dating back to the Middle Bronze Age as well as several lithic finds which instead have been dated to the Upper Paleolithic.

What you can do around or inside the prehistoric settlement of the Scurati Caves in Custonaci

The incredible attractions to see inside the prehistoric settlement of the Scurati Caves in Custonaci are truly numerous and deserve more than a thorough visit. In the Buffa cave, for example, on the walls you can see several examples of graphite drawings that tell stories of hunting and the daily life of the inhabitants of the time.
In the territory of Contrada Tono, however, there are the remains of what was once an imposing necropolis dating back to the Copper Age while in the locality known as The saddlebag it is possible to see the rather well-preserved ruins of a Roman bridge. Finally, Grotta Rumena has obtained the important recognition of a geosite worthy of worldwide interest as well as having evidence of prehistoric drawings.

Besides all these things to see and the many artifacts that have been taken from the caves and brought you into the Pepoli museum in Trapani or in the Salinas museum in Palermo, there are also many activities that can be carried out inside the archaeological park.
One of these is, for example, the living nativity scene which has been organized in Custonaci since 1983 and also involves the area of ​​the caves, with over 160 figures who re-enact episodes of peasant and artisan life of the past.

How is it possible to get to Custonaci

Those who are interested in visiting the evocative prehistoric settlement of the Scurati Caves in Custonaci can easily reach the town by car. In particular, from Palermo it is possible to reach Trapani via the A29 and from there continue first on the SS187 and then on the Sp16 to your destination.
From Trapani, on the other hand, various itineraries are possible such as the Sp20 and the 18 up to the destination.
From Palermo to Trapani it is also possible to reach the locality with the bus service provided by the AST company.
By train, however, the reference station is that of Trapani since Custonaci does not have its own station. From here, it will then be possible to continue with the public bus service to your destination.

© Mboesch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Emanuela Meme Giudic…, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons