Monte di Malo
Monte di Malo is a municipality of the Vicenza foothills, set among the hills that precede the Prealps, famed above all for holdin...
Updated 12 July 2026
The story
The story of Monte di Malo
Among the hills of the Vicenza foothills
Monte di Malo lies in the Vicenza foothills area, the hilly band leading up to the Veneto Prealps north of Vicenza, in a territory marked by an undulating landscape of woods, meadows and small rural settlements scattered among the contrade. The municipality includes several hamlets, among them Priabona, reachable along the road climbing from the main village toward higher ground, in a particular geological setting that made possible the formation of one of Veneto's most important karst systems. This position between plain and mountain gives Monte di Malo a border identity, with an economy combining traditional hillside farming and a still niche but growing nature-based tourism.
The Buso della Rana, an underground world
The Buso della Rana is undoubtedly the municipality's best-known attraction: one of the most extensive caves in Italy, with an entrance located near Contrà Maddalena, along the road leading from Monte di Malo to the hamlet of Priabona. Following the union with the overlying Buso della Pisatela on 17 March 2012, the cavity's overall extension reached around 40 kilometres, with a 2019 survey indicating more than 30 kilometres of horizontal projection and an overall elevation change of about 350 metres. Inside, active branches, small lakes, chimneys, potholes, siphons and concretions follow one another, fed by water descending from the overlying karst plateau of Faedo-Casaron, which, re-emerging at the cave entrance as the Rio Rana, still supplies the municipal water network today.
An environmental park to explore
Around the entrance to the Buso della Rana, the municipality has developed an environmental park dedicated to showcasing the karst area, with trails and information panels designed for both experienced cavers and more casual visitors interested in understanding the territory's geological features. The cave, though fully explorable only by equipped and experienced cavers given its complexity and length, still offers an accessible viewing point near the entrance, where the Rio Rana re-emerges after its underground course. The hilly landscape surrounding the area, between woods and meadows, also lends itself to walks and hikes independent of a visit to the cave.
Farming life among the hills
Beyond the cave, Monte di Malo maintains an economy tied to the hillside countryside, with crops and livestock spread among the municipality's various contrade, in a less intensive landscape than the Vicenza plain but equally characteristic of the foothills. Local farms, often modest in size, help keep the rural fabric of the territory alive, while the woods covering much of the hills provide timber and space for hiking activities. It is a municipality that, while holding a major draw in the Buso della Rana, retains an identity deeply tied to hillside life, far from mass tourism and still firmly rooted in its farming traditions.
Monte di Malo today
The community of Monte di Malo lives a balance between its rural hillside identity and the growing interest sparked by the Buso della Rana, which in recent years has brought a larger number of visitors and caving enthusiasts to the village. Local activities, from small shops to the volunteer associations that look after the cave, work to showcase this natural asset without altering the municipality's quiet character. It is a good example of how a small centre in the Vicenza foothills can build a niche tourism offer around a unique natural attraction while keeping its farming and hillside vocation intact.
Experiences not to miss
- Visit the entrance and environmental park of the Buso della Rana
- Walk through the woods between Monte di Malo and Priabona
- Discover the spot where the Rio Rana re-emerges
- Explore the rural contrade scattered among the hills
- Try the typical farm produce of the Vicenza foothills
To see
What to see in Monte di Malo
Routes · Trovido Route
