Known for its bread – and for a dinosaur quarry and a prehistoric find.
Altamura lies between Matera and Bari, a good half hour away, and is the nearest larger neighbour.
The bread
Pane di Altamura is a protected product: made from durum wheat semolina, baked in a wood-fired oven, with a thick dark crust and a long shelf life. You can buy it fresh in the bakeries of the old town.
Cathedral and old town
The cathedral goes back to Frederick II. Around it lie the claustri – small courtyards branching off the lanes that once formed neighbourhoods.
For the curious
Dinosaur tracks have been found in the surrounding area, along with the “Man of Altamura”, a Neanderthal skeleton encased in limestone. Both are presented in museum form.
Read on
- Gravina in Puglia – the neighbouring town on the same route
- Day trips around Matera – all the destinations in overview
