Altamura: Cathedral, Museums and Alta Murgia

Altamura combines significant cultural heritage with the landscapes of Alta Murgia. In the city and its surroundings, you will find points of interest for a journey that brings together sacred architecture, archaeology, karst landscapes, speleology and regional food culture.

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

A central cultural point of reference is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Altamura. It was built in 1232 at the behest of Frederick II and is one of four palatine basilicas in Apulia. Its portal depicts 22 Gospel scenes from the life of Jesus. This provides you with a focused approach to architectural history and religious art, without requiring the different aspects to be considered separately. When viewing it, you can focus either on the building's origins or on the 22 scenes on the portal.

Museums with a Regional and Municipal Focus

The MUDIMA – Museo Diocesano Matronei Altamura – comprises several departments that present the historical and artistic heritage of the city of Altamura. The Museo Nazionale Archeologico di Altamura offers a broader chronological and geographical perspective. It brings together archaeological finds from across Alta Murgia, dating from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. If you wish to understand historical connections, the two museum profiles complement each other in different ways. When choosing a cultural focus, the emphasis can be placed either on the city's historical and artistic heritage at MUDIMA or on the National Museum's broader archaeological context.

Alta Murgia and Lamalunga

The Lamalunga Visitor Centre is located in Alta Murgia National Park, 3 km from the town of Altamura. An exhibition and educational activities provide information about karst phenomena, the environment of Alta Murgia and speleology. Excursions to the entrance of the Grotta dell'Uomo are also possible from the Lamalunga Visitor Centre. The visitor centre thereby connects the landscape of Alta Murgia with speleology.

Distinctive Landscape and Geological History

Pulo di Altamura is considered a sinkhole formed by collapse. It was created when the ceiling of an underground cavity collapsed. Cava delle Orme dei Dinosauri in the town of Pontrelli is an abandoned quarry with more than 20,000 well-preserved dinosaur footprints. They date from the Cretaceous period, approximately 70 million years ago.

Pane di Altamura DOP

Regional food culture is also part of understanding the place. Pane di Altamura DOP is regarded as a symbol of the agro-pastoral culture of Alta Murgia and is closely connected with the farming traditions of the production area. When planning your trip, this connection may be of interest if, in addition to museums and landscapes, you would also like to discover the agro-pastoral culture of Alta Murgia and the farming traditions of the production area. The term agro-pastoral combines agriculture and pastoralism and describes the rural setting of the production area of Alta Murgia.

For further destinations in the same broader region, you can continue your orientation with Cozze, Santa Lucia, San Giorgio, Torre A Mare, Gioia Del Colle, Giovinazzo, Bari and Valenzano.

To the broader travel overview: Bari.