Altamura (; ; ) is a town and ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' of

Apulia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

, in southern Italy. It is located on one of the hills of the

Murge The Altopiano delle Murge (Italian for 'plateau of the Murge') is a karst topographic plateau of rectangular shape in southern Italy. Most of it lies within Puglia and corresponds with the sub-region known as Murgia or Le Murge. The plateau lie ...

plateau in the

Metropolitan City of Bari The Metropolitan City of Bari () is a metropolitan city in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Bari. It replaced the province of Bari and includes the city of Bari and some forty other ''comuni'' (: ''comune''). It was first c ...

, southwest of

Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...

, close to the border with

Basilicata Basilicata (, ; ), also known by its ancient name Lucania (, , ), is an administrative region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It has two coastlines: a 30-kilometr ...

. , its population amounts to 70,595 inhabitants. The city is known for its particular quality of

bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...

called

Pane di Altamura ''Pane di Altamura'' is a type of Italian naturally leavened bread made from remilled durum wheat semolina from the Altamura area of the province of Bari, in the Apulia region. The bread has ancient origin, with historical record of breadmaki ...

, which is sold in numerous other Italian cities. The 130,000-year-old calcified

Altamura Man The Altamura Man is a fossil of the genus ''Homo'' discovered in 1993 in a karst sinkhole in the Lamalunga Cave near the city of Altamura, Italy. Remarkably well preserved but covered in a thick layer of calcite, taking the shape of cave popcor ...

was discovered in 1993 in the nearby limestone cave called ''grotta di Lamalunga''. Archivio Generalizio Agostiniano Carte Rocca P33

History

The area of modern Altamura was densely inhabited in the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

(La Croce settlement and necropolis). The region contains some fifty

tumuli A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of Soil, earth and Rock (geology), stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found through ...

. Between the 6th and the 3rd century BC a massive line of megalithic walls were erected, traces of which are still visible in some areas of the city.

Ancient city

The city was inhabited until around the tenth century AD. Then it was reportedly looted by

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

. There are no reliable sources confirming what the original name of Altamura was. Inside the

Tabula Peutingeriana ' (Latin Language, Latin for 'The Peutinger Map'), also known as Peutinger's Tabula, Peutinger tablesJames Strong (theologian) , James Strong and John McClintock (theologian) , John McClintock (1880)"Eleutheropolis" In: ''The Cyclopedia of Bibli ...

, only ''Sublupatia'' occurs, which may refer either to

Santeramo in Colle Santeramo in Colle (Bari dialect, Santermano: ) is a town in the Metropolitan City of Bari and region of Apulia, southern Italy. Its current name comes from Erasmus of Formia, St Erasmus, martyr of the Diocletian era and patron saint of the city wh ...

, Altamura or to a small region nearby named ''Jesce''. ''Sublupatia'' implies that a city whose name was ''Lupatia'' was also present, even though there is no mention of ''Lupatia'' either in

or the

Antonine Itinerary The Antonine Itinerary (, "Itinerary of the Emperor Antoninus") is an , a register of the stations and distances along various roads. Seemingly based on official documents, possibly in part from a survey carried out under Augustus, it describes t ...

. Nevertheless ''Lupatia'' occurs in

Ravenna Cosmography The ''Ravenna Cosmography'' (, "The Cosmography of the Unknown Ravennese") is a work describing the Ecumene, known world from India to Ireland, compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around 700 AD. It consists of five books describing ...

(

Byzantine period The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

) and in Guido of Pisa's work ''Geographica'' (

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

). According to an ancient legend, appearing for the first time in the 13th century AD, Altamura's former name was ''Altilia'', from ''Alter Ilium'', the "other

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

". According to a legend, it was founded by a friend of

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas ( , ; from ) was a Troy, Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus (mythology), Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy ...

, Antellus, also a fugitive from the Asian city destroyed by the Greeks. Another legend attributes the foundation to Althea, queen of the

Myrmidons In Greek mythology, the Myrmidons (or Myrmidones; , singular: , ) were an ancient Thessaly, Thessalian tribe. In Homer's ''Iliad'', the Myrmidons are the soldiers commanded by Achilles. Their :wikt:eponym, eponymous ancestor was Myrmidon (hero) ...

Ottavio Serena Ottavio Serena (18 August 1837 – 7 January 1914) was an Italian politician, judge, prefect and historian. He is known in his hometown Altamura for his works about local history, such as the Altamuran Revolution (1799). His contribution and t ...

, as early as in 1880, rejected the above legends as well as the belief that the ancient name of Altamura was Altilia, as it lacked reliable sources. Serena suggested that this name may have originated with an unknown

High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history between and ; it was preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended according to historiographical convention ...

scholar who tried to provide an explanation of the ruins found in that place. Berloco 1985. p. 171. During the 15th and 16th centuries AD, Altamura was also mistaken for the ancient city of '' Petilia''. The belief that Petilia was the ancient name of Altamura at that time was so strong that on some Italian translations of

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

Geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

, "Petilia" was translated as "Petilia, now Altamura", despite the coordinates given by

unequivocally pointed toward today's

Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...

. Berloco 1985. p. 134 The hypothesis that Altamura was the ancient city of Petilia probably originated with

Raffaello Maffei Raffaele Maffei (17 February 1451 – 25 January 1522) was an Italian humanist, historian and theologian; and member of the Servite Order. He was a native of Volterra, Italy, and therefore is called Raphael Volaterranus or Raphael of Volterra; ...

, as he was the first known author that suggested it. Berloco 1985. p. 177-178

Leandro Alberti Leandro Alberti (12 December 14799 April 1552) was an Italian Dominican friar, historian, and Renaissance humanist. Life Alberti was born and died at Bologna. In his early youth he attracted the attention of the Bolognese rhetorician, Giovanni ...

, instead, was the first scholar who dismissed that Altamura was Petilia in his work ''Descrittione icdi tutta Italia'' (1550). According to modern scholars, Petilia probably refers to the archeological remains found on Monte Stella.

The new city

A couple of centuries after Altamura was reportedly looted by the

, it started to be inhabited again as emperor Frederick II refounded the city (1232) and ordered the construction of the large

Altamura Cathedral Altamura Cathedral (, ''Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta''), dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Altamura, in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, in southern Italy. Since 1986 ...

, which became one of the most venerated sanctuaries in Apulia. In 1248, under pressure from Frederick,

Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV (; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universities of Parma and Bolo ...

declared Altamura exempt from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Bari, making it a "palatine church", that is the equivalent of a

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

chapel. Altamura was ruled by various feudal families, including the

Orsini del Balzo The House of Orsini del Balzo was an Italian noble family from the 13th and 14th centuries. The dynasty was founded with the marriage between Roberto from the Orsini family and Sveve del Balzo from the House of Baux. The family produced a Queen ...

and the Farnese (1538–1734), the latter responsible of the construction of numerous palaces and churches. In the past, Altamura also had a large

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

, whose construction dated back to the 11th-13th century, which has been completely demolished and is not visible anymore. In 1748

Charles VII of Naples Charles III (; 20 January 1716 – 14 December 1788) was King of Spain in the years 1759 to 1788. He was also Duke of Parma and Piacenza, as Charles I (1731–1735); King of Naples, as Charles VII; and King of Sicily, as Charles III (or V) (1735� ...

had a university built in the city. Cesare Orlandi - Altamura

The Altamuran Revolution occurred in the city in 1799. From 8 February to 9 May, the city was self-governed and it embraced the ideals spread by the French Revolution, with the city joining the

Parthenopean Republic The Parthenopean Republic (, ) or Neapolitan Republic () was a short-lived, semi-autonomous republic located within the Kingdom of Naples and supported by the French First Republic. The republic emerged during the French Revolutionary Wars after ...

after the king had fled to

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

fearing for his safety. On 9 May,

Sanfedisti ''Sanfedismo'' (from ''Santa Fede'', "Holy Faith" in Italian) was a popular anti-Jacobin movement, organized by Fabrizio Cardinal Ruffo, which mobilized peasants of the Kingdom of Naples against the pro-French Parthenopaean Republic in 1799, i ...

reached Altamura, and after a battle on the city walls, the rule of the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples (; ; ), officially the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was established by the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282–1302). Until ...

was restored in Altamura. During the

Risorgimento The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the annexation of various states of the Italian peninsula and its outlying isles to the Kingdom of ...

(19th century), Altamura was the seat of the Insurrection Bari Committee and, after the unification, the provisional capital of Apulia. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the transit camp known as P.G. 51 was located at Villa Serena in Altamura.

Geography

The city is located in the south-west area of the

, near the borders with the

Province of Matera The province of Matera (; Materano: ) is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Matera. It has an area of and a total population of 201,133; the city of Matera has a population of 61,204. The province contains ...

, in

. The bordering municipalities are

Bitonto Bitonto (; ) is a ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bari, in the Italian region of Apulia. It lies to the west of Bari. It is nicknamed the "City of Olives", due to the numerous olive groves surrounding the city. Geography Bitonto lies a ...

Cassano delle Murge Cassano delle Murge (Bari dialect, Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. Origins of the name It probably derives from the Latin name Cassius with the addition of the suffix ''-anus''. Acco ...

Gravina in Puglia Gravina in Puglia (; ; ; ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The word ''gravina'' comes from the Latin ''grava'' or from the messapic ''graba'', with the meaning of ''rock'', ''shaft'' and ''erosi ...

Grumo Appula Grumo Appula ( Barese: ; ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The town is a few kilometers inland from the port of Bari on the Adriatic Sea and it has a population of about 12,200. . It is part of th ...

Matera Matera (, ; Neapolitan language, Materano: ) is a city and the capital of the Province of Matera in the regions of Italy, region of Basilicata, in Southern Italy. With a history of continuous occupation dating back to the Palaeolithic (10th mi ...

Ruvo di Puglia Ruvo di Puglia (; ) is a city and ''comune, comune (municipality)'' of 25,457 inhabitants (as of 2017) in the Metropolitan City of Bari in Apulia. It is an art city of Apulia, and an Apulian tourist destination. Part of the Alta Murgia National ...

and

Toritto Toritto ( Barese: or ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bari and region of Apulia, southern Italy. It lies in an agricultural area, growing mainly almond and olive trees, about 20 km from the Adriatic Sea The Adria ...

. Some of the communal territory are included in the

Alta Murgia National Park The Parco Nazionale dell'Alta Murgia is a national park in Apulia, southern Italy, established in 2004. It lies in the Murgia geographical area, with its headquarters in the town of Gravina in Puglia, and has an area of 677.39 square kilometres. I ...

Demographics

Main sights

Altamura's main landmark is the Romanesque

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, begun in 1232 by Frederick II and restored in 1330 and 1521–47. It is one of the four Palatine churches of Apulia, the others being the cathedral of

Acquaviva delle Fonti Acquaviva delle Fonti ( ; known as just Acquaviva until 1863) is a town and comune of 20,446 inhabitants, in the Metropolitan City of Bari, in Apulia, Italy. Acquaviva is famous for its characteristic red onions, which have been awarded the DOP ...

, the Basilica of San Nicola in

and the church of

Monte Sant'Angelo sul Gargano The Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel () is a Roman Catholic shrine on Mount Gargano, Italy, part of the commune of Monte Sant'Angelo, in the province of Foggia, northern Apulia. It has the dignity of a minor basilica. It is the oldest s ...

. The construction is influenced by that of Bari, but also with strong Gothic influences typical of the time of Frederick II. The orientation of the construction was probably changed during the 14th century restoration, to which also belongs the northern portal opening on the square; a second bell tower, the altar area and the sacristy are instead from the 16th century. Externally, the main features are the

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' wa ...

, with 15 small columns radially intermingling, and the Gothic portal, set into the entrance portico standing on two stone lions. On the arch of portals are sculpted 22 panels with scenes from Jesus' life. The interior, with a nave and two aisles, has stone

presepe In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmas season, of art objects repre ...

by Altobello Persio (1587). The medieval walls, erected by Frederick II, rest upon the megalithic walls of an ancient city of unknown name. These early walls are of rough blocks of stone without mortar. Ancient tombs with fragments of vases and terracottas have also been found, of which there is a collection at the Museo Archeologico Statale di Altamura. There are caves which have been used as primitive tombs or dwellings, and a group of some fifty

near Altamura. Some thirty thousand

dinosaur footprints A fossil track or ichnite (Greek "''ιχνιον''" (''ichnion'') – a track, trace or footstep) is a fossilized footprint. This is a type of trace fossil. A fossil trackway is a sequence of fossil tracks left by a single organism. Over the year ...

were discovered in 1999 in Altamura's territory named "contrada Pontrelli", making it a major site for the study of dinosaurs.

Events

A three-day medieval fair called Federicus is held every year in the city, usually on the last weekend of April.

Economy

Banca Popolare di Puglia e Basilicata Banca Popolare di Puglia e Basilicata S.C.p.A. is an Italian cooperative bank based in Altamura, in the province of Bari, Apulia region. The bank had 137 branches, covering 12 out of 20 regions of Italy. However, they were located mainly in Sou ...

, a cooperative bank of southern Italy, is based in Altamura. The bank is a successor of Banca Popolare della Murgia.

Education

* Liceo classico Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi

Museums

Archivio Biblioteca Museo Civico The Archivio Biblioteca Museo Civico (also A.B.M.C.) is an organization which mainly serves as library and museum and it is located in Altamura, Italy. The archive and library comprise about 90,000 books, mostly about history and literature, among ...

* National Archaeological Museum of Altamura * Museum of Typography ''Portoghese'' *Alta Murgia Ethnographic Museum * Altamura Diocesan Museum Matroneum (MUDIMA), located inside

matroneum A triforium is an interior gallery, opening onto the tall central space of a building at an upper level. In a church, it opens onto the nave from above the side aisles; it may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be locate ...

Transport

The city is crossed by the SS7 "

Via Appia The Appian Way (Latin and Italian: Via Appia) is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. Its importance is indicated by its common name, recor ...

" national road. Altamura railway station, operated by the national company FS and by FAL, is located on the regional lines Rocchetta Sant'Antonio-Altamura-Gioia del Colle (FS), Bari-Altamura-Matera (FAL) and Altamura-Avigliano-Potenza (FAL). Also the municipal localities of Casal Sabini, Marinella and Pescariello have their own stations. The one of Sanuca was closed in the late 1990s.

Twin towns — sister cities

Altamura is twinned with: *

Lucera Lucera (Neapolitan language, Lucerino: ) is an Italian city of 34,243 inhabitants in the province of Foggia in the region of Apulia, and the seat of the Diocese of Lucera-Troia. Located upon a flat knoll in the Tavoliere delle Puglie, Tavoliere ...

, Italy *

Modica Modica (; ) is a city and municipality (''comune'') in the Province of Ragusa, Sicily, southern Italy. The city is situated in the Hyblaean Mountains. It has 53,413 inhabitants. Modica has neolithic origins and it represents the historical cap ...

, Italy * Castellana Sicula, Italy

People

Giovanni Antonio Del Balzo Orsini Giovanni Antonio (Giannantonio) Orsini del Balzo (9 September 1401 – 15 November 1463) was a southern Italian nobleman and military leader; he was Prince of Taranto, Duke of Bari, Count of Lecce, Acerra, Soleto and Conversano, as well as C ...

(1386 or 1393–1463), prince of Taranto *

Giacomo Tritto Giacomo Domenico Mario Antonio Pasquale Giuseppe Di Tritto (2 April 1733 – 16 September 1824) was an Italian composer, known primarily for his fifty-four operas. He was born in Altamura, and studied in Naples; among his teachers were Nicola ...

(1733–1824), composer * Giuseppe Ciccimarra (1790–1836), opera singer *

Saverio Mercadante Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante (baptised 17 September 179517 December 1870) was an Italian composer, particularly of operas. While Mercadante may not have retained the international celebrity of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti or Gioa ...

(1795–1870), opera composer * Domenico Tranaso (1796–1854), notary * Giacomo Bellacchi (1838–1924), mathematician *

Giuseppe Oronzo Giannuzzi Giuseppe Oronzo Giannuzzi (March 16, 1838, Altamura, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies – March 8, 1876, Siena, Italy) was an Italian physiologist. About After graduating in medicine in Pisa in 1861,Libro Dottorati dall'anno 1835 all'anno 1860 (AS ...

(1838–76), physiologist *

(1837-1914), Italian politician and historian * Nicola Serena di Lapigio (1875–1938), writer and journalist *

Donato Squicciarini Donato Squicciarini (24 April 1927 – 5 March 2006) was an Italian Catholic archbishop who acted as Nuncio to Austria from 1989 to 2002. Squicciarini was born at Altamura, Apulia on 24 April 1927. He was ordained priest 12 April 1952, and ordain ...

(1927–2006), Catholic archbishop *

Romeo Sacchetti Romeo "Meo" Sacchetti (born August 20, 1953) is an Italian professional basketball coach and former player who is currently a head coach for Pallacanestro Cantù of the Serie A2 (basketball), Serie A2. Standing at a height of , he played as a Po ...

(born 1953), former basketball player * Francesco Caputo (born 1987), football player *Mary Valastro Pinto (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Tubito), former employee of

Carlo's Bake Shop Carlo's Bake Shop, commonly known as Carlo's Bakery and also known as Carlo's City Hall Bake Shop, is a bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey, owned by Buddy Valastro. The bakery has gained public attention as the setting of the TLC television series, '' ...

and character of the TLC network program

Cake Boss ''Cake Boss'' is an American reality television series that originally aired on the cable television network TLC. The series premiered on April 19, 2009, and spawned four spin-offs: '' Next Great Baker'', '' Kitchen Boss'', ''Bake You Rich'', an ...

, as well as mother of

Buddy Valastro Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Jr. (born March 3, 1977) is an American baker, reality television personality, and businessman. He has taken his small, family-owned bake shop, Carlo's Bake Shop, Carlo's Bakery, and turned it into a baking and restauran ...

Infos at gpo.gov
/ref>

Military

The 31st tank regiment of the

Italian Army The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...

is stationed at Altamura.

References

Sources

* *

External links

Official website

Richard Stillwell, ed. ''Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites'', 1976:
"Altamura, Apulia, Italy"

Museo Archeologico Statale di Altamura

"Altamura and Aquaviva"
Altamura bread, discussion and photos
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Apulia