The more frightened the great abyss of Pulo, whose cap was suddenly plunged, opening to the sun on the north wall overlooking large cavity flows clear from rain, which became his shelter from the elements and fairs.
His contemporaries lived Murgia Franchini and had learned not to venture, during periods of full, including swelling of water channels, resulting in serious Farawalla.

Legends tell of still living down whole herds, with their pastors in the black hole and found Farawalla after days and days in the Gulf of Taranto.
Lamalunga in the canyon of the Man of Altamura was overwhelmed by the water and was hurled through a shaft that intercepts a tunnel slide, a 30 meters from the surface, in the main hall of the cave.

A subsequent full transported him to a secondary branch of absorption, where he remained caught between stalactites.
The water flooded and the embroidery on her skeleton, with the alabaster, lace concretions of a “cauliflower”.
Through other wells and driven by seasonal flows, numerous animal carcasses reached the cave. The water deposited with the silt, clay and red sandy gorges in secret.
250 thousand years after C.A.R.S. (I center Searches Altamura speleologiche), on 07/10/1993, during the exploration of the cave Lamalunga, makes a discovery of global significance: “The Man of Altamura” the only skeletal remains of the Paleolithic human whole.
Calcareous skeleton formed 130 million years ago formed the limestone of Bari and Altamura limestone, rocks of calcareous-arenaceous origin (the tuffs Mazzaro, cozzoso, saline) to which alternate clays, alluvial deposits and red soil formed between 1 million and 2 thousand years ago, and concentrated in culturable blades.

To the ispessimento sovraorbitale contrasts in fact the rear near the neck, which leads to more archaic human fossils. The discovery of the cave dell’ominide Lamalunga can be explained by a male adult of 160-165 centimeters.

It is in the whole skeletal structure and is in excellent condition.
On its skull are both archaic traits than morphological transformations, settle himself themselves in neandertaliani, which allow you to place it in the group of fossils of the European Middle Pleistocene, between the forms of Homo erectus (400 thousand years) and the forms of Homo Neanderthal ( 85 thousand years), a phase of transition estimated at 250 thousand years ago.

Partially destroyed, perhaps from an earthquake, she was reconstructed in the 1316.

A walled headstone above the door angioina, protected by an iron gate, it is to remember us the downfall of the Temple happened under the government of Roberto Di Angiò. Its reconstruction was submitted teacher of art to the children of certain Suggestion of Bitonto.

THE OUTSIDE

It is a pleasant architectural complex for perfection, lightness and agility, of a discussed style and variedly classified, not certainly pure, but constituted by a whole architectural elements so well coordinated among them to be offered as a whole a harmonic and unitary beauty.

The native style Romanesque-pugliese, from some classified more properly “federiciano” for the personal and genial imprint of Federico II and also for the fact that the cathedral of Altamura is the only one built for his will, it is observed better on the right broadside articulated by seven arcades and adorned of a beautiful portal erected by the king Roberto of Angiò.

The Door angioina, on the northern broadside, it goes up again to 1316, that is to the reconstruction after the collapse of the edge to northeast. It is work of the children of Ledger Suggestion of Bitonto. She was called “door of the spices” when the daily market developed him in plaza.

In 1485 the title of the Cathedral was elevated to Collegiate Eminent and it achieved an amplification of it in the west part to give space to the new clergy. The prolongation allowed, therefore, the presence of the presbytery and the choir.

In 1534 the beautiful Principal Door (halves the XIV century) was situated in the opposite façade and the bell tower it came so to be before.

Around 1560 a symmetrical bell tower is added on the new façade, in 1587 they are lengthened both the bell tower and in 1729 the cuspidis are added.

Commissioned by the bishop Niccolò Sapio, the majestic lions that guard to make the portal were carved by Master Antonio da Andria in 1533. Note that the lion of the left (as you look from the outside) interest less well to the weight of the column, which was necessary to wedge a block of stone in the belly.
In subsequent years the floor was redone in marble and marble and indorature were coated columns and other parts.
In 1858 instead of the seat is built the clock tower in the neo-Gothic.
The original beauty has remained unchanged: they are to admire the elegant façade acute arc dominated by two imposing towers, the great portal of the XIV-XV secolo century as “the richest of Puglia and one of the most important of the region, the stupendous fourteenth century rose window, a 15-ray, starting dall’Agnus Of central arches with triple ring terminals within richly carved.
The crests above the slightly ogival portal, under the cusp, Angevin witness the commissioning of the parent of all the southern portals. It says the mission of Christ by reading from the bottom upwards. The bezel incorporates the Annunciation, the divine maternity of the Assunta and, in the predella below, the Last Supper.
On the front is the great emblem of Emperor Charles V (1500-1558), with biceps the eagle of the Habsburgs.

THE INTERNAL

It is, with three naves and in the nineteenth century as has the original structure with slender columns, the precious capitals, the columns of the ancient galleries and the rich carvings that surround all the doors and windows. There are many valuable works of art that recall the tribute of faith offered by kings, lords and humble people:

• a fine inlaid choir of 1543, the work of masters Napolitain, consisting of 64 stalls in walnut and several others that offer a unique overview of all Christianity;
• The Conversion of St. Paul, under Domenico Morelli (1876 - third chapel);
• the Assumption, patroness of Altamura, a large walnut table behind the altar made by Neapolitan maestro Leonardo Castellani in 1546, disfigured and restored several times. The original painting was tall and 7.50 meters wide 4th Forty altamurani carried on the shoulder from the port of Trani, where he arrived on a ship from Naples. The unfortunate cut 1.50 meters from the top of the framework took place in 1793 to fix in the new frame of marble;
• The water in marble, carved in baroque style in 1735;
• the sixteenth century pulpit carved in wood;
• Ambon the stone on columns and panels on which are carved scenes from the life of Christ;
• The Cabinet of Sacrestia 1543 walnut;
• The high altar, a marble, is in 1793.

The serafinis on the sides are the work of the sculptor Francesco Evangelista Neapolitan (1879). Especially nice is the right angel, absorbed in solemn roses. In the sacristy is a large cupboard in walnut with inlays of 1547.
In 1587 the priest Iacobuzio de Altamura Cobutiis made by local craftsmen carve the stone crib altamurana painted. Prepared the perpetual privilege of the chapel. The stalactites are from the caves very frequent in the surrounding area. The chapel that housed the crèche was a sacristy after the reversal of the facade was dedicated to Our Lady of Constantinople, then to the altar of SS.Sacramento.

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”.