The cathedral of Frederick II and the PDO bread
On the high plateau of the Murgia, Altamura is known throughout Italy for its bread, the first in Europe to obtain the PDO, in 2003. Pane di Altamura is made only with re-milled durum wheat semolina from the Murgia, natural sourdough, salt and water, and baked in wood-fired ovens. It has a thick, crunchy crust and a soft, yellow crumb, and keeps for many days. Its traditional shape is the "sckuanéte", folded over itself, or the high "cappello del prete", priest's hat. In the past every family kneaded its own loaves, marked with their initials, and took them to the public oven. In the early 2000s a McDonald's opened in the town closed after a short time, defeated, the newspapers wrote, by the local focaccia and bread.
The historic centre, enclosed within the ancient walls, is a maze of "claustri", small courtyards surrounded by houses, typical of the town. At its heart stands the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in 1232 by the emperor Frederick II, one of the four Palatine basilicas of Apulia, with a magnificent Romanesque portal decorated with scenes from the life of Christ and a great rose window. Altamura is also famous for the Man of Altamura, a Neanderthal skeleton found in a cave nearby.
Tip: visit one of the historic bakeries, such as the old Forno Santa Chiara, to see the bread being made; also try the focaccia and the "puccia".
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