What to see in Altamura, history and itinerary including the main monuments and places to visit, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Church of San Nicola dei Greci and the Archaeological Museum.
Tourist information
Re-founded in around 1230 by Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, Altamura was an ancient city of the Peucezi, located in the western Murge and then destroyed by Saracen pirates.
In the ancient part, having an elliptical shape, it is still possible to see the original medieval layout, characterized by the presence of over two hundred courtyards and some sections of megalithic walls, dating back to the fifth and fourth centuries BC, as well as from the Middle Ages.
The church of San Nicola dei Greci was built in Romanesque style at the end of the thirteenth century.
What see
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, erected between 1232 and 1316 but remodeled in later periods, has a facade made up of multiple architectural elements each corresponding to different periods, but which however do not adversely affect the overall harmony.
Between the two bell towers of the sixteenth century there is an eighteenth-century loggia including the statue of the Assumption, under which there is an elegantly carved rose window and of the fourteenth century as the portal.
In the grandiose interior with three naves, the inlaid choir stands out, having an episcopal chair dating back to the second half of the sixteenth century.
In the archaeological museum there is a collection of archaeological finds, corresponding to different eras but all found in the surrounding area, including ceramics from the Bronze Age, funeral objects from tombs dating back to the Iron Age, peucetic and Apulian vases.
Furthermore, there are interesting early Christian and Romanesque objects.
