The Blue Grotto Cave is one of few sea caves, worldwide, that is flooded with a vivid blue or emerald light. The quality and nature of the color in each cave are determined by the specific lighting conditions in that particular cave. So, you must be bewitched by the unearthly exquisiteness and glowing blue waters in the Blue Grotto sea cave, scoured the web looking for more. So, you could find a favorite spot of a Roman emperor, who has inspired artists for several centuries and has become a massive tourist attraction on the Isle of Capri.
In Blue Grotto, the light comes from two sources; one is a small hole existing in the cave wall, exactly at the waterline, that is a meter and a half in diameter. This hole is hardly big enough to admit a tiny rowboat and is normally used as the entranceway. In photos taken from within the cave, the above water half of this hole seems like a spot of dazzling white light.
The other source of light is a second hole, with a surface area about 10 times as large as the first, which lies right below the entranceway, separated from it by a bar of rock between one and two meters thick. However, much less light, per square meter, can enter through the lower opening, but its large size ensures that it is the primary source of light.
With the stunning effect of the light from the above-water opening, it is difficult for a tourist who is in one of the row-boats to identify the shape of the larger hole, the outline of the bar that separates the two holes, or even the nature of the light source, other than general alertness that the light is coming up from underneath, and that the water in the cave is more light-filled than the air.
Therefore, in rough seas and at high tide, the famous sea cave is not accessible; it has also been closed to tourists in the past due to water pollution in the form of raw sewage. It is not the only sea cave on the island of Capri, and it’s not the only blue grotto in the world, but it’s the most famous. A tourist who places a hand in the water can see it “glow” eerily in this light. The grotto was famous by the Romans and used by Emperor Tiberius during the years when he retired to Capri.
Roman Emperor sculptures of the appropriate period showing Neptune and tritons have been recovered from the cave, and it is thought more might lie on the deep bottom. Further, the discovery of remains of an ancient landing place and the work on an underground tunnel, form an image of a natural cavern adorned by statues.
The grotto has appeared in many books and is highlighted in the 1953 Newbery Honor book, Red Sails to Capri, by Ann Weil. In Alberto Moravia’s 1954 novel Contempt “Il disprezzo”, visions of the hero appear when he decides to pay a final visit to the cave. Although in May 1949 Princess Margaret visited Blue Grotto. Once upon a time, Roman Emperor Tiberius used this lovely Blue Grotto, a sea cave, like his swimming pool. He loved the Blue Grotto so much that it was his favorite “nymphaeum”.
The grotto was recognized by the locals under the name of “Gradola”, was abandoned and feared by local sailors because of legends of spirits and demons which populated the cave. But it was avoided because due to being inhabited by witches and monsters. As time passes, the Blue Grotto became a popular tourist destination in the 1830s, after the visit of German writer “August Kopisch” and his friend Ernst Fries to the cave in 1826 and after the issuing of the book “Kopisch Entdeckung der blauen Grotte auf der Insel Capri” in 1838.
They were directed to the cave by a local fisherman “Angelo Ferraro” and during their journey, they noticed the presence of Roman structures in the cave. Since then the Blue Grotto has become the emblem of the island of Capri.
Moreover, entrance to Blue Grotto on a day when the water is perfectly calm enough, the visitors are allowed to go inside. The Blue Grotto is one of those places, where at peak times the queue of tour boats and those arriving by land can be one to two hours long, even though the total time stays in the cave is only a few minutes.
Many visitors are wondering what all the fuss is about. It’s a cave with a small pool of blue water and will begrudge the cost and time involved in seeing it. While the others adore the place. Despite all facts, it is a must-see place if you’re going to Italy.
