The Caves of l’Espluga make up what we know today as two different cavities or caves (the Cueva de la Villa and the Cueva de la Font Major), although originally both galleries formed part of a single, extensive cavity that runs right through the subsoil of the present-day town center of the municipality. The speleological explorations carried out since 1956 have made it possible to explore and topographically map 3600 meters of galleries. This makes this cave reach the international standard of “Great Cave” and its dimensions make it the seventh longest cave in the world, among all the caves formed in conglomerates. Through a large part of these galleries, there is still a subway water course that flows out through the Font Major, the source of the Francolí River.
The presence of the cave in this place is at the origin of the very name of the village, since “Espluga” in Latin means “cave” and this is the name by which the municipality has been known since the 11th century. This seems to indicate that the most remote origins of the town are linked to the human occupation of the cave. In any case, since the cave was rediscovered, there have been several archaeological finds that certify the human presence and frequentation of the cave since the Paleolithic.
“Espluga” in Latin means “cave” and this is the name by which the municipality has been known since the 11th century.