Grotta di San Michele Arcangelo

The Cave of Saint Michael the Archangel is a place of naturalistic and religious interest on the outskirts of the village of Tufo in Irpinia.

An evocative natural cave of early Christian origin discovered in the second half of the 16th century, it was named after the patron saint of the local community; worship of this saint was probably already rooted in Lombard times, following their conversion to Christianity. The Cave was officially consecrated thanks to Cardinal Orsini and became a mystical, intimate, and salvific place for the faithful: the inhabitants of Tufo and the surrounding areas, the sick, and the oppressed came here to request graces of protection and healing through the intercession of the Archangel.

Today, the cavity, which branches off for more than 50 metres, is flanked by a fresco of Saint Michael the Archangel to the left of the entrance and by a smaller cave from which spring water flows on the rear side. Recently, restoration work has revealed a new space – in addition to the cave's end vault – and several frescoes that make the place even more evocative. Finally, the statue of the patron saint is kept inside the cave: a rare example of sculpture in polychrome stone, positioned on an altar and still devoutly venerated by the local community today.

Among the oldest religious sites in Irpinia, the Cave of Saint Michael the Archangel is part of the Sacred Routes of the Jubilee.