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San Bernardino Cave

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San Bernardino Cave

Highlight • Cave

San Bernardino Cave

Name: San Bernardino Cave
Rating: 2

Recommended by 6 hikers

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Location: Mossano, Vicenza, Veneto, Italy

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Best Hikes to San Bernardino Cave

4.8

(234)

832

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1. Valle dei Mulini di Mossano – Colli Berici Scenic Walk loop from Mossano

10.7km

03:31

380m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Moderate

4.8

(12)

hikers

2. Valley of the Mills of Mossano – Mossano Mills Valley loop from Mossano

9.75km

03:14

410m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Moderate

5.0

(2)

hikers

3. Fontana di Mossano – Valle dei Mulini di Mossano loop from Mossano

4.17km

01:15

130m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

Tips

A. 🐺

April 29, 2025

The Grotta di San Bernardino is a small and fascinating medieval hermitage, nestled at the base of a ten-meter-high limestone pinnacle (the only rock tower in the entire Berici Hills). The building's façade encloses a karst cavity about thirty meters long and ten meters wide. An evocative and mysterious setting.

According to tradition, the name derives from the shelter it provided to Saint Bernardino of Siena, who preached in these areas in the 15th century. In the early 16th century, this cave, like others in the Berici Hills, was adapted as a temporary refuge for the local populations, while the Venetian plain was subjected to enemy raids. The oldest prehistoric remains in the Vicenza area (tools and animal bones dating back 200,000 years) were found inside the cave: it was likely used by Neanderthals as a hunting base.

Interesting fact: the abundance of animal bones was the main cause of soil removal and the resulting significant impoverishment of San Bernardino's paleontological heritage. In fact, in 1890, the Camerini family, owners of the site, had the rich phosphate material excavated from the cave. It was transported downstream by cableway and used as fertilizer for the fields!

The cave is occasionally open to the public, with guided tours organized by the Mossano Tourist Board (Pro Loco), which you can contact for details.

tuttoberici.it/arte/S-Bernardino-Grotta-Mossano.htm
archeoveneto.it/portale/wp-content/filemaker/stampa_scheda_estesa.php?recid=189

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Elevation 100 m

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Sunday 30 November

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Max wind speed: 4.0 km/h

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See hikes here

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Location: Mossano, Vicenza, Veneto, Italy

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San Bernardino Cave

1. Valle dei Mulini di Mossano – Colli Berici Scenic Walk loop from Mossano

2. Valley of the Mills of Mossano – Mossano Mills Valley loop from Mossano

3. Fontana di Mossano – Valle dei Mulini di Mossano loop from Mossano

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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