Murgia Barese

<< Apulia

The Murge Plateau (Altopiano delle Murge) is a large karst plateau located in Apulia, which occupies all the southern portion of the Metropolitan City of Bari, stretching into the nearby provinces and also in Basilicata. The Murgia Barese houses several historic towns with many ancient landmarks, and various peculiar natural sites. This region is also known for the trulli, traditional stone huts with a conical roof.

Acquaviva delle Fonti

Acquaviva delle Fonti is a town located south of Bari on the Murge Plateau. Inhabited since ancient times, the town was ruled for centuries by local noble families and remained a center of regional importance.

Acquaviva delle Fonti Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Sant’Eustachio Martire (Cattedrale di Sant’Eustachio Martire)

The Acquaviva delle Fonti Cathedral (Duomo di Acquaviva delle Fonti) is the main church in the city, built in the 16th century over a previous church. The cathedral features a blend of Apulian Romanesque and Renaissance style, and its facade hosts a large and elaborate rose window. The facade also features other decorations, while inside the church are various artworks and a crypt.

Sammichele di Bari

Sammichele di Bari is a small town in the Murgia Barese, located just east of Acquaviva delle Fonti. The town has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and features some ancient landmarks.

Caracciolo Castle

The Caracciolo Castle is a 17th-century fortified palace in the center of Sammichele di Bari. The well-preserved structure now houses the Dino Bianco Museum of Rural Life (Museo della Civiltà Contadina Dino Bianco). This museum houses a large collection of objects that showcase the traditional rural life in the Murgia Barese.

Gioia del Colle

Gioia del Colle is a city located on the Murgie Plateau in the Metropolitan City of Bari. While the area around the town has been inhabited since ancient times, the modern city emerged around a Byzantine castle in the Middle Ages.

Norman-Swabian Castle

The Norman-Swabian Castle (Castello Normanno-Svevo) is a castle in Gioia del Colle that was originally founded by the Byzantines in the 9th century, and was later expanded by the Normans and again under the rule of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. The castle was later turned into the residence of the local noble families, and now it can be visited. The fort houses various medieval artworks, including an elaborate throne. Part of the castle hosts the National Archaeological Museum of Gioia del Colle (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Gioia del Colle), which includes numerous prehistoric artworks unearthed near the city.

Putignano

Putignano is a town in the Murgia Barese, located near Castellana Grotte. Inhabited since ancient times, the city has always been a center of regional importance, and it is now known for its Carnival and its caves.

Grotta del Trullo

Also known as: Putignano Cave (Grotta di Putignano)

The Grotta del Trullo is a karst cave located just outside Putignano. The cave was discovered in 1931 and was turned into a tourist attraction with the addition of a structure similar to the traditional trulli on its entrance. The cave features various interesting rock formations.

Alberobello

Alberobello is a town located at the eastern edge of the Metropolitan City of Bari, in the Murgia Barese and the Itria Valley. The town was only founded in the 16th century, and quickly expanded. Now it is a popular tourist destination because of its old town made almost entirely of the traditional trulli.

✪ Trulli of Alberobello

The trulli are small stone hut buildings with a conical roof found in the Murge Plateau. Alberobello is regarded as the capital of the trulli, as it features a large old town made almost compltely from these structures. Several trulli are now famous tourist attractions and can be visited. Among the most popular are the large Trullo Sovrano and the complex known as Casa d’Amore (“Love House”). The largest complex of trulli, known as Casa Pezzolla, houses the Museum of the Territory (Museo del Territorio), a museum dedicated to the history of Alberobello and its trulli. Alberobello also houses the Church of Sant’Antonio, a church built in the 1920s with a shape similar to the trulli. The trulli of Alberobello are also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Altamura

Altamura is a city in the Metropolitan City of Bari, located among the hills in the middle of the Murge Plateau. The city was inhabited in ancient times, when it had large megalithic walls, but was abandoned in the Middle Ages after being looted by the Saracens. The modern town was founded by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century, and quickly became an important regional center, ruled by various local noble families. In 1799 the city lived a period of self-rule during the Altamuran Revolution, inspired by the French Revolution. Today, Altamura is the second-largest city in the Metropolitan City of Bari, and it is also known for its bread.

✪ Altamura Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)

The Altamura Cathedral (Duomo di Altamura) is a large Romanesque church erected during the 13th century under the rule of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. The cathedral is regarded as one of the greatest architectural work of that time in Apulia, and features a facade adorned with a decorated portal, an elaborate rose window, and two bell towers. Inside, the church is richly adorned with Baroque decorations and various other artworks. The cathedral also houses the Altamura Diocesan Museum Matroneum (Museo Diocesano Matronei Altamura), which includes artworks dating as far back as the Middle Ages, and numerous ancient books and religious objects.

Church of San Nicola dei Greci

The Church of San Nicola dei Greci is an ancient church in the old town of Altamura. Originally erected in the 13th century, it was reworked in the 16th century, with the addition of an elaborate portal. Adjacent to the Church of San Nicola dei Greci is the Church of San Biagio, adorned with a large fresco on its facade.

Museum of the Altamura Man

The Museum of the Altamura Man (Museo dell’Uomo di Altamura) is a museum of anthopology and human evolution in Altamura. The museum was founded after the discovery of the Altamura Man in 1993, a well-preserved fossil of a Neanderthal dating between 187.000 and 128.000 years ago, and one of the most complete Paleolithic skeletons ever found in Europe. The museum houses a copy of the fossil, while the original is preserved in the archaeological site where it was found.

National Archaeological Museum of Altamura

The National Archaeological Museum of Altamura (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Altamura) is a museum in Altamura dedicated to the ancient history of the city. The museum houses several archaeological finds unearthed around the city, dating between prehistory and the Middle Ages.

Porta Bari

Porta Bari is an ancient city gate located at the northern end of the old town of Altamura. The structure was erected over a previous city gate between the 16th and 17th century. Adjacent to Porta Bari is the 16th-century Palazzo De Angelis-Viti, once the residence of a local noble family.

Gravina in Puglia

Gravina in Puglia is a city in the Murgia Barese, located west of Altamura. The town has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and was a Roman city. Gravina in Puglia remained a center of regional importance, and it is now a tourist destionation, known for being located on the side of a ravine crossed by a river.

Gravina in Puglia Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)

The Gravina in Puglia Cathedral (Duomo di Gravina in Puglia) is the main church of the city, located near the ravine that runs west of the town. Founded in the 11th century and originally built in Romanesque style, the church was later reworked with the addition of Baroque elements and artworks.

Church of Santa Maria del Suffragio

Also known as: Church of the Purgatory (Chiesa del Purgatorio)

The Church of Santa Maria del Suffragio is a church in the center of Gravina in Puglia. It was originally built as a funerary chapel for the noble Orsini family in the 17th century, and later it was turned into a church. The church houses some interesting artworks.

Church of San Michele delle Grotte

The Church of San Michele delle Grotte is a rupestrian church carved in the tuff along the cliffs of the ravine of Gravina in Puglia. The church was built between the 8th and 9th century and was originally frescoed, but most of the decorations are now lost. A few other rupestrian churches are located along the side of the ravine around Gravina in Puglia.

Ponte Acquedotto

The Ponte Acquedotto is a large bridge that crosses the ravine of Gravina in Puglia, connecting the old town of the city to the archaeological sites to the west. The bridge was built in the 18th century, and also served as an aqueduct. A breathtaking view of Gravina in Puglia and its ravine can be enjoyed from the bridge.

Archaeological Park of Botromagno

The Archaeological Park of Botromagno (Parco Archeologico di Botromagno) is an archaeological site located on the western side of the ravine of Gravina in Puglia. Here is the rupestrian Church of Madonna della Stella located just on the top of the cliff. Around the same area are the ruins of other ancient structures.

Ruvo di Puglia

Ruvo di Puglia is a town in the Murgia Plateau west of Bari. Settled in ancient times, it was later inhabited by the Greeks and the Romans. The town was destroyed and rebuilt during the Middle Ages, and now it is known for hosting various historic attractions.

Ruvo di Puglia Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)

The Ruvo di Puglia Cathedral (Duomo di Ruvo di Puglia) is a medieval church and a great example of Apulian Romanesque architecture. Built between the 12th and 13th century, the church was reworked and restored several times. The cathedral features a decorated portal and a large rose window, while inside are several artworks and a hypogeum.

Palazzo Caputi

Palazzo Caputi is a 16th-century palace in Ruvo di Puglia. The palace has some adorned halls, and now serves as a library and museum. The museum houses several ancient books and artworks.

Jatta National Archaeological Museum

The Jatta National Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico Nazionale Jatta) is an archaeological museum in Ruvo di Puglia. The museum houses a large collection of pre-Roman artworks, including hundreds of Greek vases.