Altamura rises on the evocative landscape of the Alta Murgia, a karst plateau shaped by nature and inhabited by man since Prehistory.<\/p>\n
Amid expanses of stone, caves, sinkholes and ancient silences, over the millennia this territory has offered an environment favourable to life, shepherding and agriculture. The numerous archaeological, artistic and architectural remains tell an extraordinary story that leads from the Palaeolithic through to the Middle Ages and the refounding of the city ordered by Frederick II of Swabia.<\/p>\n
The guided tour begins at Palazzo Baldassarre, where we get to know “Ciccillo”, the name affectionately given by the people of Altamura to the Altamura Man.<\/p>\n
The Neanderthal skeleton, dating back around 150,000 years, was found inside the karst cave of Lamalunga. The particular conformation of the site made it possible to preserve the find in the very spot where the man died, turning it into one of the most important testimonies of European Prehistory.<\/p>\n
Through an engaging multimedia path and a 3D video, we can take a virtual journey into the depths of the earth, down to the cave that still guards this exceptional inhabitant of the Alta Murgia today.<\/p>\n
Leaving Palazzo Baldassarre, we set off into the evocative historic centre of Altamura. The route crosses a labyrinth of alleys, squares, claustri and narrow lanes called “strictule”, in which the urban imprint of the medieval city can still be recognised.<\/p>\n
The claustri are small enclosed courtyards around which community life developed. These spaces tell the story of the coexistence of the different ethnic groups and cultures that arrived in Altamura after the Frederician refounding, able to integrate and contribute to the city’s growth.<\/p>\n
The walk continues towards the majestic Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the main religious monument of Altamura and one of the most important testimonies of the legacy left by Frederick II of Swabia.<\/p>\n
We admire its imposing fa\u00e7ade, enriched by the magnificent fourteenth-century portal, and visit the interior, where architecture, history and sacred art meet in a setting of great charm.<\/p>\n
The last stop is the Diocesan Museum, housed in the ancient medieval matronei of the Cathedral. Its halls preserve precious works, liturgical furnishings and collections of sacred art linked to the city’s religious history.<\/p>\n
A two-hour itinerary that spans millennia of history and allows you to discover the most important testimonies of Altamura: from the Neanderthal Man to the medieval city, through to the artistic treasures of the Cathedral.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Altamura rises on the evocative landscape of the Alta Murgia, a karst plateau shaped by nature and inhabited by man since Prehistory. Amid expanses of stone, caves, sinkholes and ancient silences, over the millennia this territory has offered an environment favourable to life, shepherding and agriculture. The numerous archaeological, artistic and architectural remains tell an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-363780","hsn_experience","type-hsn_experience","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsannicola.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hsn_experience\/363780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsannicola.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hsn_experience"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsannicola.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/hsn_experience"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsannicola.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hsn_experience\/363780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":364451,"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsannicola.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hsn_experience\/363780\/revisions\/364451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hotelsannicola.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}