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 Gravina in Puglia (; nap, label= Barese, Gravéine ; la, Silvium; grc, Σιλούϊον, Siloúïon) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The word ''gravina'' comes from the Latin ''grava'' or from ...

, and has an area of 677.39 square kilometres. It is part of a larger

Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certa ...

established to protect the grass steppe,

lesser kestrel The lesser kestrel (''Falco naumanni'') is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across Afghanistan and Central Asia, to China and Mongolia. It is a summer migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan and sometimes even to Indi ...

's habitat (

Site of Community Importance A Site of Community Importance (SCI) is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) as a site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at ...

Sites of interest

Castel del Monte, one of the most famous castles in southern Italy and a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

, is one of the most important sites located inside the park. Other sites or structures of interest include: * the

bauxite Bauxite is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) and diaspore (α-AlO ...

mines of Murgetta in the

Spinazzola Spinazzola is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, Apulia, southern Italy. People *Pope Innocent XII was born here in the castle of the Pignatelli family, now destroyed. * Michele Ruggieri (1543–1607), Jesuit mis ...

area; * the Swabian castle of Gravina in Puglia; * the herbarium museum of

Ruvo di Puglia ''"Ruvo died to revive, like the Phoenix of Heliopolis, from the ashes of itself"'' Ruvo di Puglia (; nap, label= Ruvese, Rìuve ) is a city and '' comune (municipality)'' in the Metropolitan City of Bari in Apulia, southern Italy. It is a ve ...

; * Robinson's municipal park and the pine forest of Gravina in Puglia; * Galietti's pine forest of

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

; * Mesola's forest of

Cassano delle Murge Cassano delle Murge ( 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''. According to oth ...

; * Lagopetto's municipal pine forest of

Grumo Appula Grumo Appula ( Barese: ; la, Grumum) 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 has a population of about 12,200. People ...

; * Mercadante's forest in the territory of

and Altamura; * the archaeological park of Botromagno and Padre Eterno of Gravina in Puglia; * Pulo di Altamura, representing the largest karst

sinkhole A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...

in the area (about 6 km north of Altamura); * Pulicchio di Gravina, the second largest karst sinkhole of the area, 10 km from the town of Gravina in Puglia; * Faraualla's grave, another deep karst sinkhole in the territory of Gravina in Puglia; * Lamalunga cave, which housed

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 ...

; * the cave of Santa Maria degli Angeli in

; * San Magno's necropolis in Corato; * the valley of the dinosaurs in Altamura, where dinosaur footprints were found in 1999; * ''jazzi'', rock constructions used during periods of transhumance, more frequently found in the territories of Andria, Gravina, Ruvo, Minervino and

External links

Pages by the Park Authority on Parks.it
National parks of Italy Protected areas established in 2004 Parks in Apulia {{Europe-protected-area-stub