The Tre Paduli karst area is a unique doline complex, comprising three large ones – the Pulicchio of Gravina, Gurlamanna and Tre Paduli doline – and two smaller ones. Paduli is a dialect term for a doline or blind valley, where water flows into a swallowhole or karst pond within and then is absorbed into the water table.
Three Paduli doline extends for approximately 1,2 km, Gurlamanna for 650 meters and Pulicchio of Gravina, among the largest cavities in Puglia and covered by pine and coniferous trees, reaches a depth of 110 metres.
The karst area of Three Paduli was originated by the collapse of giant underground structures which gave rise to an area with a varied biodiversity, thanks to a substrate capable of retaining water reserves in different ways.
K4 Geosite – national significance
Location: Gravina in Puglia (BA)
