Grotta del Genovese

About the museum

The Grotta del Genovese opens in a cliff about 30 metres high on the north-western coast of Levanzo, the smallest of the Egadi islands, overlooking a small cove. The islanders had long known it as a place for hunting rabbits with the help of ferrets, but no one had ever entered its inner chambers. In 1949 the Florentine painter Francesca Minellono, on holiday on the island, slipped through a narrow passage and discovered the paintings and engravings.

Paolo Graziosi of the Istituto di Paleontologia Umana at the University of Florence and Jole Bovio Marconi, superintendent of antiquities for western Sicily, took part in the study. The cave has two parts: a wide antechamber containing the remains of a late medieval lime kiln and, after a low, narrow passage, a longer inner chamber that holds what is described as the richest complex of prehistoric figurative art in Italy.

The engravings, mostly large animals and four human figures, date from the final Upper Palaeolithic, at the transition between the Pleistocene and the Holocene. The black paintings, attributed to the final Neolithic, include fourteen idols, six violin-shaped and eight cylindrical, and very stylised human figures; a single red human figure is attributed to the Palaeolithic.

Highlights

• Engravings of large animals from the final Upper Palaeolithic
• Fourteen painted idols from the Neolithic
• Stylised human figures painted in black
• Inner chamber with the richest complex of prehistoric figurative art in Italy
• Location on the coast of Levanzo, reachable by sea or on foot

Visitors per year

approx. 1,500

Admission & discounts

The “admission only” ticket (€22 for adults) includes the guide and entry, without transport; the visit with transport costs €44. Online booking by PayPal, card or bank transfer; on site, cash or credit card.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The final stretch is a dirt path along the coast, difficult for people with reduced mobility or in wheelchairs: the visit is not suitable for them.

Kids & families

Rates are available for children aged 0 to 5 (free) and for children aged 6 to 11.

Getting there & parking

The cave is 4 km from the village, about 1 hour on foot; no bicycles, scooters or cars can be hired on Levanzo. With the guided visit including transport, the cave is reached by boat or off-road vehicle.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit