Altamura rises to 480 meters on the southeastern Appennino.

It is the most populous center of the tall Murgia with over 68 thousand inhabitants.

It enjoys of a vigorous commercial economy, agricultural and manufacturing, strongly developed by the specializations of the craftsmanship and imposed herself in the world markets thanks to the salottificis.

You climb to the international spotlight in 1993 thanks to the sensational discovery of the paleontological layer of Lamalunga: a whole human skeleton and in good state of maintenance what it goes up again to three-quattrocentomila years ago.

But Altamura as it is born, his name thing intends?

From the beautiful queen of the Mirmidonis, Altea, it would come down the primitive name of the city, Altilia. Not less suggestive it is the other proposed etimo Alterum Ilium (=Altra Troia) for which Altamura would enter in the providential plan that, after the fall of Troia, brings Enea to the foundation in Rome.

But the essential archaeological datum it is the installation of a column peuceta - then Romanised - in the space delimited by the surrounded building inside (V sec. a. C.), space subsequently widened (IV sec. a.C.) and defended by a surrounded building external long 3670 meters.

From here the today’s name of Alta-Mura.
The new face of the ancient suburb is owed to Federico II di Svevia; confirm him the epigraph under the coat-of-arms white/red of the city Federicus me reparavit.

Federico reorganized in deep way and lasting the urban order of Altamura privileging the city - already center of notable economic vivacity and social before Thousand - with the sumptuous Cathedral which its name is tied up, only place of cult of which has followed the stories also after having completed its construction.

And we are to the third ten of the 1200.

The urban fabric develops him in an unusual plot of Claustri (alleys blind to courtyard) on roads “basolate” what they bring all to the principal artery (Corso Federico II) and therefore to the Cathedral.

From the epoch federiciana to today the stories altamurane is marked by the pride for the autonomy of government of the city: ransomed by the same altamuranis to the auction in 1531, protected by the sovereigns against the soprusis of the vassals, valiantly defended in 1799 during the siege and the incursion of cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo against the giacobinis. To the 1799 heroic defense it refers the title of “Lioness of Puglia”.