Its entrance is located in a pine forest, about 150 m from Socerb Castle, along a mountain transversal. The fact that that this is the only underground church in Slovenia is reminded by a cistern carved into a stalactite and the stairs above it, which lead to the choir. Of the altar, which was richly decorated in the style of the 17th century, only the stairs remain. Already Valvasor, in his monograph on the The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, describes the legend of a young man who took refuge in the underground from his pursuers for almost two years. It is a Roman Catholic saint, Saint Socerb, one of the patron saint of the city of Trieste. He was tortured and beheaded by the ancient Romans on May 24, 284 A.D. .There is also a description of a pan with miraculous water, which is located behind a stalactite column.
From the entrance hall, stairs lead past fallen stalactites and old inscriptions on the wall to the wine cellar. The same source states that Count Petač had it renovated. Since it was not appropriate to desecrate a holy place in such a way, he immediately turned sour, so that only the door reminds us of this intervention.
The researchers descended 20 m further from here, so the cave is estimated to be 44 m deep and 200 m long. At its bottom, they came across a stream, which a tracking experiment showed flows into springs in the Valley. The flowing water heats the cave air, the temperature of which drops below freezing in winter, as this karst cave is shaped like an “icicle”. This is also indicated by the “humpbacked” ceiling above the entrance door, which is the result of corrosion of condensed moisture at the contact between the cold cave and warm outside air.
Nature lovers can find out this and much more every Sunday at 2 pm, when cave guides, members of the Jamarsko društvo Dimnice from Koper, which also manages the cave, will lead you to the saint’s refuge.
We can be reached on tel. 031 625 004 or by e-mail: info@dimnice.si.