ALTAMURA

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ALTAMURA

• Altamura, in south-east of
• Italy, has a population of
• about 64.000 inhabitants.
• It is situated on the Apulian
• Murgia(hill) at 480 m. above
• sea level.
• Its territory has a calcareous
• structure made up of
• carbonate rocks dating back
• 130 millions years ago.

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In the course of millennium, dolines and caves
have been formed. Among the superficial carsick
formation, Altamuras Pulo represents one of the
most important example, a doline rich of natural
caves inhabited by a man in the Neolithic age.
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A very interesting discovery was made in a stone
quarry in 1999 thousands of dinosaurs
footprints dated back 70 million years ago. It is
one the most important and interesting
discoveries in Europe. This discovery is
extraordinary for quantity and quality, since the
footprints are perfectly preserved.
4
In the autumn of 1993, in the Cave of Lamalunga a
group of speleologists run unexpectedly into a
man's skeleton lived about between 400 thousand
to 100 thousand years ago.This skeleton was
discovered in the gallery, hidden by a thin wall
of stalactites. The bones of the body lie in a
mess, with the skull in the rock. The
paleontologists have affirmed that the skeleton
belongs to a very ancient man, lived between the
Homo erectus and the Neanderthal Man
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The town
Founded in XII century by Frederick II of Swabia,
who wanted to build on a hill a church in honour
of the Madonna, it offers many historic places,
monuments, archaeological site, beauties of
nature. Claustro blind alley with houses on
both sides

• Ancient tombs with fragments of vases have also
  been found and there are cases which have been
  used as primitive tombs or dwellings

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The mediaeval walls, erected by the emperor
Frederick, rest upon the walls of an ancient city
of unknown name. These early walls are of
rough blocks of stone without mortar, dated 5th
century B.C.
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Altamura is one of Italy's oldest settlements, as
can be seen from the remains of the primitive,
megalithic boundary walls Throughout the zone
several stone "mirrors (from the latin
"speculare" to look attentively) can be noticed
.Built in times of old, they were used as
corridor-like tombs or as actual sighting
turrets.
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The CathedralBuilt by Frederick, it is an
excellent example of Romanesque Apulian style
The first foundation was placed in 1232 at the
same time when the town was being founded.

• The original structure of the three nave
  Cathedral is almost beyond recognition due to the
  1316 earthquake and by the various alternations
  undertaken throughout the centuries

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The inside of the cathedral

• Wooden choir stalls
  wooden pulpit

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• On the outside you can admire the magnificent
  portal, one of the richest in Apulia, flanked by
  2 lions.
• The two massive bell towers erected in the XIV
  c., rise like two arms and in the middle of the
  façade, there is magnificent 15-ray rose window

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The landscape

• The territory of Altamura is characterized
  by large spaces not yet urbanized, where you can
  enjoy many natural landscapes for example the
  golden wheat in June, with the spikes containing
  the grains of wheat, that will be milled and will
  give a good flour for the preparation of bread
  and "pasta".

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• In April and May, the wheat fields are
  characterized by bright colors because of the
  great number of flowers, for example the red
  poppy

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Altamuras economy

• Its economy is based on.
• Agriculture
  Industry
• thanks to fertile countryside
  service industry, building firms
• 
  sofa factories
• (olives, cereals, grapes, vegetables).

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In the last two or three decades Altamura has
become the second industrial district for the
production of durum wheat and it has reached a
European fame as The town of Bread. There are
14 industrial mills that transform 25.000
quintals of durum wheat daily. 43 baker shops
employ 200 workers, and produce 800 quintals of
bread every day. Only the 20 of this production
is for the local market
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Altamura is important for its local and
typical dishes, made of simple food..
CHEESE Dairy products are made from cows and
sheeps milk. Among them we remember the
"Mozzarella, Scamorza, ricotta (soft
unsalted cheese)

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CARTELLATEA typical Christmas recipe prepared
with white wine, eggs, sugar, flour and glazed
with honey or vincotto( cooked wine)

• Padre Peppe
• Prepared with alcohol, green walnut husks, sugar,
  nutmeg, cinnamon. It is often used as a digestive