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Pozzo d'Antullo in Collepardo: the sinkhole where shepherds lowered their sheep on ropes
Pozzo d'Antullo is an enormous karst sinkhole near Collepardo, in the heart of the Monti Ernici (Hernici Mountains). It is an awe-inspiring chasm with a perimeter of approximately 300 metres and a depth estimated at between 60 and 80 metres. It is one of the largest in Europe. But the real surprise is the forest that grows luxuriantly at its base.
A vertical pasture
It has not always simply been a natural phenomenon that people come to admire. In the past, local shepherds used the area as a safe pasture, inaccessible to wolves. At the beginning of spring, they would lower their sheep on ropes down the vertical walls. There the animals would remain, grazing on the grass below, protected and unguarded, until the arrival of winter.
Divine punishment and a scholar's eye
Legend has it that a threshing floor once stood here, and that the earth collapsed as punishment for the farmer who threshed grain on the sacred feast day of the Assumption. German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius, fascinated by the tale, proved nonetheless to be a careful observer: he recorded both the popular legend and the scientific hypothesis, already widespread at the time, that the site was in fact a cave whose vault had collapsed.
Pozzo d'Antullo falls within the boundaries of the Natural Regional Park of Monti Ausoni and Lago di Fondi. Opening hours vary according to season; it is advisable to book in advance and always check the official website before setting out.
