THE LEGEND OF SPARTACUS
A very old legend tells the tale of a bloody battle between Roman-Empire soldiers and Roman rebel-slaves led by Spartacus, occurring near the Caves in 71 B.C. Rome won.
The legend goes on to say that Norce, Spartacus’ wife, took refuge in the Cave along with wounded warriors, giving rise to the Cave’s first names: “Grotte di Norce” and “Grotte di Spartaco.”
Another legend says that Spartacus hid a treasure in the Cave, which became a prime reason why the first explorers were interested in studying the Cave.