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Home > Travel Italy > Italy Destinations > Altamura
Altamura
Italy, officially the Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana, is a Southern European country comprising of the Po River valley, the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. It is shaped like a boot and for this reason Italians commonly call it lo Stivale, the boot or, due to its prevalent peninsular geographical nature, la Penisola, the Peninsula.
Altamura is a town and commune located in Apulia, Italy, on the Murge River in the province of Bari, 28 miles that is 45 kilometers southwest of the city of Bari close to the border with Basilicata. The city is well known for its particular quality of bread, which is sold in several other Italian cities. The 400,000 year old calcified Altamura Man was discovered in the nearby limestone cave, called grotta di Lamalunga.
The area of modern Altamura was thickly settled in the Bronze Age. The ancient city was known as Altilia, from Alter Ilium, called the other Troy. The region contains some fifty tumuli. Between the 6th and the 3rd century BCE a huge line of megalithic walls was erected. From the following century, though, the importance of the city decayed. It recovered some importance when the Emperor Frederick II refounded the city and ordered the construction of the large Altamura Cathedral in 1232, which became one of the most venerated sanctuaries in Apulia.
Altamura was ruled by a variety of feudal families, including the Orsini del Balzo and the Farnese from 1538 to 1734, the latter responsible of the construction of numerous palaces and churches. In 1748 Charles VII of Naples had a University built in the city. In 1799 the city revolted against the Bourbon government. The revolt, on the other hand, was suppressed two days later and the city sacked by Fabrizio Ruffo's troops. During the Risorgimento in the 19th century, Altamura was the seat of the Insurrection Bari Committee and, after the unification, the provisional capital of Apulia.
A city known for its historic myths and traditions, scenic beauty, cooperative people and luxurious hotels and cottages, Altamura is one of the favorite holiday destinations for most of the vacation lovers.
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