Approved the Cis project for the Municipality of Otranto which provides for the construction of an accessible copy of the Grotta dei Cervi in Porto Badisco and the safety of the cave itself hit by vehicular traffic coming from the coastal road. The project was developed thanks to the Institutional Development Contracts, tools used for the valorisation of the territories with investments that require an integrated approach with agreements between the central, regional and local administrations and the implementing bodies.
The main idea is to create a cultural tourist pole in Porto Badisco, with a museum, a laboratory structure where the study and practice of archeology is envisaged with the involvement of local bodies and institutions which can become a point of reference for specialists, children and tourists.
As far as the structure is concerned, however, the mayor of Otranto explains that «Inside the museum, the reconstruction of approximately 110 meters of tunnels of the Grotta dei Cervi is foreseen which, like in Altamira and Lascaux, will reconstruct the main parts on a 1:1 scale of the Cave allowing a complete use of the monument that is inaccessible today ” .
The museum will interface with the restoration laboratories which will instead be in the Ceppano farm, whose restoration project is linked to the archeology laboratories. Therefore a single backbone that will connect the new cycle-pedestrian path that from Otranto goes to the bauxite lake, San Nicola di Casole, the Palascìa lighthouse, Ceppano, Sant'Emiliano, Porto Badisco and Porto Russo.
In short, a beautiful project for which we hope the effective and rapid realization, a work that would allow a great leap in quality in the care and enhancement of a territory rich in culture and civilization; Prehistory in Italy wishes everyone involved a good job!