Porta Matera was one of the main gates of the old city of
Altamura
Altamura (, ; nap, label= Barese, Ialtamùre) is a town and ''comune'' of Apulia, in southern Italy. It is located on one of the hills of the Murge plateau in the Metropolitan City of Bari, southwest of Bari, close to the border with Basilic ...
. They were part of the
City Walls of Altamura (dating back to
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 ...
and rebuilt in 1648), which were completely demolished during the nineteenth century since they had become useless for defence purposes. The gate itself was demolished in 1872. The monastery ''Monastero del Soccorso'' is located on the left side of the gate, while on the right some ruins of the
city walls
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
can be seen, presumably saved from destruction because of the bas-relief depicting "
Pipino's leg" (relating to the killing and subsequent dismemberment of
Giovanni Pipino di Altamura in the Middle Ages).
In the past, it was known as ''porta montium'', which is Latin and it means "the gate that leads to the mountains" of Italian region
Basilicata
it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman)
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...
. Nowadays, the gate is known mostly because of the
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 ...
(1799).
Pipino's leg
Some ruins of the medieval city walls of Altamura (not to be confused with the
Megalithic Walls of Altamura) are still visibile on the right side of Porta Matera. The ruins were not demolished probably because of the historical importance of the area: a leg of
Giovanni Pipino di Altamura (1357) was exposed on that part of the city walls. Giovanni Pipino, because of his rebellious behavior, was hanged on the battlements of
Altamura Castle
Altamura Castle ( it, Castello di Altamura) was a castle located in the city of Altamura, now completely demolished. It was located over today's ''piazza Matteotti'' and a few remains of it are still visible inside the adjacent buildings, which wer ...
and his body was later dismembered. His body parts were displayed inside the city as a warning to the population, and one of those was displayed on the left side of Porta Matera. In memory of this, a
bas-relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
("Pipino's leg") was later made and placed on top of the walls; this bas-relief was then destroyed and rebuilt in 1648 during the restoration works of the city walls and it's still visible.
[ matteovill, pp. 418–419]
The Altamuran Revolution
Porta Matera is known mainly for having been the gate through which the
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 ...
, led by Cardinal
Fabrizio Ruffo
Fabrizio Dionigi Ruffo (16 September 1744 – 13 December 1827) was an Italian cardinal and politician, who led the popular anti-republican ''Sanfedismo'' movement (whose members were known as the ''Sanfedisti'').
Biography
Ruffo was born at ...
, penetrated into the city during the battle of the
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 ...
(1799) (
Neapolitan Republic of 1799
The Parthenopean Republic ( it, Repubblica Partenopea, french: République Parthénopéenne) or Neapolitan Republic (''Repubblica Napoletana'') was a short-lived, semi-autonomous republic located within the Kingdom of Naples and supported by the ...
). During this battle, many
Altamurans
Altamura (, ; nap, label= Barese, Ialtamùre) is a town and ''comune'' of Apulia, in southern Italy. It is located on one of the hills of the Murge plateau in the Metropolitan City of Bari, southwest of Bari, close to the border with Basi ...
and
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 ...
were killed. Among those were
Altamuran
Altamura (, ; nap, label=Bari dialect, Barese, Ialtamùre) is a town and ''comune'' of Apulia, in southern Italy. It is located on one of the hills of the Altopiano delle Murge, Murge plateau in the Metropolitan City of Bari, southwest of Ba ...
citizens Maurizio D'Alesio and Giuseppe Tubito, who were torn apart by a grenade explosion. Moreover, an old widow called "vedova Turco" was killed by Sanfedisti right after their entry into the city; her house was located close to Porta Matera and it was looted first by invaders. She was hit with sabers and closed into a lot that was then burnt; she was found after three days and healed by one of her relatives.
In the square in front of Porta Matera, Giovanni Firrao was also killed by
Fabrizio Ruffo
Fabrizio Dionigi Ruffo (16 September 1744 – 13 December 1827) was an Italian cardinal and politician, who led the popular anti-republican ''Sanfedismo'' movement (whose members were known as the ''Sanfedisti'').
Biography
Ruffo was born at ...
himself on the same day the
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 ...
entered the city (10 May 1799).
[ vicenti-medaglioni]
References
Bibliography
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* {{Cite book , title=Altamura, immagini e descrizioni storiche , first=Giuseppe , last=Pupillo , author2=Operatori C.R.S.E.C. BA/7 , year=2017 , publisher=Antezza Tipografi , location=Matera , isbn=9788889313282 , ref=pupillo-immagini , url=http://www.energheia.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Altamura-Immagini-e-Descrizioni-Storiche-Giuseppe-Pupillo-Operatori-C.R.S.E.C.-BA_7.pdf , access-date=21 October 2018 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021190843/http://www.energheia.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Altamura-Immagini-e-Descrizioni-Storiche-Giuseppe-Pupillo-Operatori-C.R.S.E.C.-BA_7.pdf , archive-date=21 October 2018 , url-status=dead
See also
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Porta Bari (Altamura)
*
Altamura
Altamura (, ; nap, label= Barese, Ialtamùre) is a town and ''comune'' of Apulia, in southern Italy. It is located on one of the hills of the Murge plateau in the Metropolitan City of Bari, southwest of Bari, close to the border with Basilic ...
*
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 ...
Altamura
Gates of Altamura