Massacre of the Resistance 27 juillet 1944 (≈ 1944)
17 wounded executed, doctors shot in Grenoble.
Fin du XIXe siècle
Beginning of explorations
Beginning of explorations Fin du XIXe siècle (≈ 1995)
First descents at -80 m by premises.
9 août 2003
Record depth
Record depth 9 août 2003 (≈ 2003)
Discovery of the Omega siphon at -483 m.
2020
New deep siphon
New deep siphon 2020 (≈ 2020)
*Sunset of the Gods* at -489 m identified.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Yves de Montcheuil - Resistant priest
Shot at Grenoble after the raid.
Rosine Crémieux - Nurse resistant
Deported to Ravensbrück after 1944.
Oscar Decombaz - Speleologist Explorer
The entrance hall bears his name (1898).
Origin and history
The Luire Cave, located in the Vercors massif on the commune of Saint-Agnan-en-Vercors (Drôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), is an exceptional Vauclusian resurgence, with a monumental natural porch known for centuries. His speleological exploration began at the end of the 19th century, gradually revealing an underground network of more than 54 km, with the deepest point reaching -489 m.
During the Second World War, the cave porch housed a makeshift hospital for the resistance of the Vercors maquis. On 27 July 1944, during a German raid, 17 wounded were executed there, while two doctors and the priest Yves de Montcheuil were shot in Grenoble. Seven nurses, including Rosine Cremieux, were deported to Ravensbrück. This drama marked local history as a symbol of Nazi repression.
Classified as a national heritage, the Luira Cave is also a remarkable geological site, linked to the myth of the Luira, a witch siren supposed to cause its floods. Its network, which has been explored by the Groupe Séléologie Valentinois since 1952, includes deep siphons such as Omega (-483 m) and Le Trépuscule des Dieus (-489 m). Today, she visits herself partially, offering an overview of this classified underground network.
The cave is an overflow of the underground Vernison: during the floods, the water springs out by its porch, a phenomenon locally called "the Luira dies". Explorations continue, with recent discoveries such as the dusk of the Gods Siphon in 2020. The site combines historical memory, tourism and speleological research while perpetuating local legends.
