One of the heirs of the Papafava Counts, the historic owners of Parco Frassanelle, was Alberto.
He was the man who, during dinner one day, threw down a challenge to his cousin: whoever built the most beautiful caves in the gardens of their own residence would be the winner.
It was Alberto who was successful: over seven years he built caves with imitation stalactites and stalagmites, faults and cracks in the rock, mudflows and a circular underground path nearly 200 metres long.
The artificial environment which Alberto created was so faithful to nature that colonies of bats and beetles set up home in the caves.
One of the most famous caves in Parco Frassanelle is dedicated to love, where lovers, sitting face-to-face on the rock, can whisper sweet nothings to each other in romantic but secluded surroundings.
