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Altamura is a beautiful town where you can easily spend a few hours or days. It is evident here that Apulia is the wealthiest region in southern Italy and Altamura’s shopping streets with their lovely shops and cafés are in no way inferior to their counterparts in the towns and cities of the north. The atmosphere in the town is warm and welcoming and here you feel light years away from Bari’s hectic centre.
The town is situated on a ridge of hills and is partially surrounded by town walls. A town already existed here during the first period of Greek rule (8 BC), and you can still see traces of the first town wall from around 5 BC. This first town, the name of which is unknown, must have been quite large as the town walls measured 3.7 km in circumference and are over 5 m thick in some places. The town was later destroyed by the Saracens and it was not until 1230 that the great Frederick II once again established a town on the site. He attracted Greeks, Normans, Jews and others from the surrounding towns by granting the new town special privileges and favours. Frederick built a magnificent cathedral and a castle, however the latter was destroyed in the 14th century.
Later the town was ruled by various great noble families. In the 18th century Altamura was an outstanding intellectual town and it had its own university from 1748 to 1799. The town was also a great supporter of the Parthenopean Republic, which emerged following the French Revolution. This caused the town to be besieged, plundered and many defenders were massacred in 1799. However, the town was not completely forgotten during the unification of Italy as it became the seat of Apulia’s first temporary government. The heroic resistance shown against Cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo’s troops also gave the town the name Leonessa di Puglia (the lioness of Apulia).
In spite of the presence of the Greek walls, it is still Frederick II’s walls that are the most eye catching. They must have been even more impressive at one time as the town is named after them. It is also worth visiting San Niccolò dei Greci, a little church from the 13th century, where Greek Orthodox rituals were carried out until 1601.
But best of all, is the cathedral Santa Maria Assunta, one of Apulia’s four Palatine cathedrals. These were cathedrals which had their own jurisdiction and had to answer to the emperor. The cathedral is a fascinating mixture of styles: Apulian, Roman, Gothic and Baroque. Work was started by Frederick in 1232 and the cathedral was rebuilt following the great earthquake of 1316. In 1534 the cathedral underwent another change as it was turned 180 degrees! The beautiful big rose window was taken out and put into the other end, meaning that where the apse was previously was now the main entrance. The original Gothic window from 1232, which had been in the apse, was also moved and is now in the left half of the facade (next to some coats of arms, where the largest is the coat of arms of Carlos V). In the 16th century two genuine Baroque style campaniles were added. The main entrance dates back to the 14th – 15th centuries and is one of the most beautifully decorated in Apulia. The cathedral is especially beautiful from the outside and has a marvellous portal.
Next to the cathedral is the famous café Padre Peppe, which since 1832 has produced its bitters of the same name. The bar’s appearance is old-fashioned and some might say its prices are too! One of the specialties – a lovely patisserie cake called Soffio - costs under 1 euro and the prices are the same if you sit by one of the small marble tables.
If you want to try something that has won Altamura recognition, you need to visit the baker Vincenzo Dambrosio in Via Vittorio Veneto 24, and buy one of his fantastic loaves of bread. Apulian bread is sold everywhere in Italy and here it is made in the best traditional way.
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Blegdamsvej 104B
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø
Telephone: +45 3315 1313
Opening hours
Weekdays: 09.00 - 15.00
Saturday: closed
Sunday: closed
In-Italia A/S
Member of Danish Travel Guarantee Fund
Member of Association of Danish Travel Agents and Tour Operators
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