Altamura (, ; nap, label= Barese, Ialtamùre) is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' of

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

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

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

plateau in the Metropolitan City of Bari, southwest of

Bari Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...

, close to the border with

Basilicata it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = ...

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

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

called

Pane di Altamura Pane di Altamura is a type of Italian naturally leavened bread made from remilled durum wheat semola from the Altamura area of the Provincia di Bari, in the Apulia region. In 2003 ''Pane di Altamura'' was granted PDO status within Europe. By ...

, 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 popcorn t ...

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 is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

(La Croce settlement and necropolis). The region contains some fifty tumuli. Between the 6th and the 3rd century BC a massive line of megalithic walls was 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 Germany in the Middle Ages, German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings, to refer ...

. There are no reliable sources confirming what the original name of Altamura was. Inside the Tabula Peutingeriana, only ''Sublupatia'' occurs, which may refer either to

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 resp ...

, 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 Tabula Peutingeriana or the

Antonine Itinerary The Antonine Itinerary ( la, Itinerarium Antonini Augusti, "The Itinerary of the Emperor Antoninus") is a famous ''itinerarium'', a register of the stations and distances along various roads. Seemingly based on official documents, possibly ...

. Nevertheless ''Lupatia'' occurs in

Ravenna Cosmography The ''Ravenna Cosmography'' ( la, Ravennatis Anonymi Cosmographia, "The Cosmography of the Unknown Ravennese") is a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland, compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around 700 AD. Text ...

(

Byzantine period The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

) 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 late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

). 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 ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...

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

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

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

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 the ...

, 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 that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended ...

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 Petilia or Petelia ( grc, Πετηλία) was a city name found in some ancient works of classical antiquity. It's widely accepted that in antiquity there were two cities with this name, both located in Southern Italy. One of them, Petilia, was lo ...

''. 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 (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

Geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

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

unequivocally pointed toward today's

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

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

Raffaello Maffei Raffaello 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; a ...

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

Leandro Alberti Leandro Alberti (1479–1552) was an Italian Dominican historian. Life Alberti was born and died at Bologna. In his early youth he attracted the attention of the Bolognese rhetorician, Giovanni Garzoni, who volunteered to act as his tutor. He e ...

, 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 ( it, Duomo di Altamura, ''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 south ...

, which became one of the most venerated sanctuaries in Apulia. In 1248, under pressure from Frederick, Pope Innocent IV 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 grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

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 fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

, 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 it, Carlo Sebastiano di Borbone e Farnese , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Elisabeth Farnese , birth_date = 20 January 1716 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain , death_da ...

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

In 1799, an important event in the history of Altamura, commonly labelled as

Altamuran Revolution The Altamuran Revolution ( it, Rivoluzione di Altamura, also ''Rivoluzione altamurana'') was a three-month period of self-government of Italian town Altamura, right after the birth of the Parthenopean Republic (23 January 1799) which ousted the Bo ...

, took place. In February 1799, the city joined the Parthenopean Republic, after the king had fled to

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , 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 ...

fearing for his safety. From 8 February 1799 to 9 May 1799, the city was self-governed and it joined the ideals spread by the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. On 9 May,

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

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

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as 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 ...

was restored in Altamura too. During the Risorgimento (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, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, 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 Metropolitan City of Bari, near the borders with the Province of Matera, in

. The bordering municipalities are

Bitonto Bitonto (; nap, label= Bitontino, Vetònde) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bari (Apulia region), Italy. It lies to the west of Bari. It is nicknamed the "City of Olives", due to the numerous olive groves surrounding the cit ...

, Cassano delle Murge, Gravina in Puglia,

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 ...

Matera Matera (, ; Materano: ) is a city in the region of Basilicata, in Southern Italy. As the capital of the province of Matera, its original settlement lies in two canyons carved by the Gravina River. This area, the Sassi di Matera, is a comple ...

, Ruvo di Puglia,

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. History T ...

. 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. ...

Main sights

Altamura's main landmark is the Romanesque

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

, 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, the Basilica of San Nicola in

and the church of

Monte Sant'Angelo sul Gargano The Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel ( it, Santuario di San Michele Arcangelo) 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 dignit ...

. 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'' w ...

, 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 Christianity, Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian language, Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christ ...

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 tumuli 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

renaissance fair A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire or Renaissance festival is an outdoor gathering open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which purportedly recreates a historical setting for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent the ...

called

Federicus Federicus (; ) is a historical reenactment event that takes place every year in the historic city centre of Altamura, Italy. Its name is derived from the Latin name of king Frederick II, who founded the city of Altamura and by which the event is ...

is held every year in the city, usually on the last weekend of April.

Economy

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

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, amon ...

* National Archaeological Museum of Altamura * Museum of Typography ''Portoghese'' *Alta Murgia Ethnographic Museum *

Altamura Diocesan Museum Matroneum Altamura Diocesan Museum Matroneum ( it, Museo Diocesano Matronei Altamura, also MUDIMA) is a museum located inside Altamura Cathedral, whose entrance is on the left side of the church's main entrance. It is located on the second and third floors ...

(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 located ...

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, rec ...

" national road.

Altamura railway station Altamura was a railway station in Altamura, Italy. The station was located on the Rocchetta Sant'Antonio-Gioia del Colle railway and the train services were operated by Trenitalia Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. A subsidiar ...

, 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 ( 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 Plains, near the foot of Daunian Mountain ...

, Italy *

Modica Modica (; scn, Muòrica) is a city and ''comune'' of 54,456 inhabitants in the Province of Ragusa, Sicily, southern Italy. The city is situated in the Hyblaean Mountains. Modica has neolithic origins and it represents the historical capital ...

, Italy * Castellana Sicula, Italy

People

* Giovanni Antonio Del Balzo Orsini (1386 or 1393–1463), prince of Taranto *

Giacomo Tritto Giacomo Domenico Mario Antonio Pasquale Giuseppe 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 Fa ...

(1733–1824), composer *

Giuseppe Ciccimarra Giuseppe Ciccimarra (22 May 1790 – 5 December 1836) was an Italian tenor, closely associated with Rossini roles. Career Ciccimarra was born in Altamura. He was considered one of the best comprimario tenors of his time. For Rossini, he crea ...

(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 Gaetano Donizetti or Gioachino Rossini beyond ...

(1795–1870), opera composer *

Domenico Tranaso Domenico Tranaso (1796 - 1854) was a notary from Altamura who was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment in Trani prison in 1850 after attempting to overthrow the government of Altamura in 1848. Life Domenico was born in about 1796 in Vieste to ...

(1796–1854), notary * Giacomo Bellacchi (1838–1924), mathematician *

Giuseppe Oronzo Giannuzzi Giuseppe Oronzo Giannuzzi (March 16, 1838, Altamura, Italy – March 8, 1876, Siena, Italy) was an Italian physiologist. His most important discovery is one of the serous demilunes, or crescents: cellular formations that are on some submaxill ...

(1838–76), physiologist *

(1837-1914), Italian politician and historian *

Nicola Serena di Lapigio Nicola Serena di Lapigio (22 May 1875 - 6 March 1938) was an Italian nobleman, writer and journalist. Life His father was baron Ottavio Serena, a historian and politician of the early years of the Kingdom of Italy, while his mother was Maria Pri ...

(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 ordaine ...

(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. Standing at a height of 1.99 m (6 ft. 6 in.), he played ...

(born 1953), former basketball player *

Francesco Caputo Francesco "Ciccio" Caputo (born 6 August 1987) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Empoli, on loan from Sampdoria. He represents the Italy national team. Club career Caputo started his career in the Pugliesi amateu ...

(born 1987), football player *Mary Valastro Pinto (

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

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, ''C ...

and character of the TLC network program Cake Boss, as well as mother of

Buddy Valastro Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Jr. (born March 3, 1977) is an American baker and reality television personality of Italian heritage. He is the owner of Carlo's Bakery, as well as the face of Buddy V's Ristorante. Valastro is best known as the star of ...

Infos at gpo.gov
/ref>

Military

The 31st tank regiment of the

Italian Army "The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law" , colors = , colors_labels = , march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...

is stationed at Altamura.

Sources

* *

References

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