Gravina in Puglia is a city in the province of Bari, in the heart of Alta Murgia. Its ancient origins, dating back to the Paleolithic, make it the oldest municipality in Puglia. Its thousand-year history offers numerous tourist attractions, including the canyon of the ravines, formed over the centuries by the action of the waterways which, digging the territory, formed large inlets. Each of them houses 80 rock sites and is rich in prehistoric settlements. The city sits right on the canyon, from which it takes its name.
A bit of history
The rock dwellings, dug into the rock, were real refuges for the ancient inhabitants of the region. Among the best known sites are the rock churches. The most beautiful are that of San Michele delle Grotte (XNUMXth – XNUMXth century), the church of the Madonna della Stella , church of the Sepulcreto. Gravina in Puglia, over the centuries, has seen various civilizations pass by: Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans and Swabians. The most recent history of the country is connected to the Orsini family, who were the lords of the town until 1816. A descendant of this family was Pope Benedict XIII.
The main tourist attractions
Gravina in Puglia has a lot to offer in terms of territory, landscapes, monuments and naturalistic and architectural beauties. An impressive construction to cross is the Aqueduct Bridge (or viaduct of the Madonna della Stella), built on the Gravina stream, which connects the two halves of the city. Built in the 1722th century, it is the symbol of the city and the extraordinary landscape of the Murgia plateau. Destroyed by the earthquake of 25, it was rebuilt by the Orsini family as an aqueduct, to transport the waters of the Sant'Angelo and San Giacomo springs. The structure of the Bridge was initially made up of 1855 arches which were replaced by a tuff espalier after the damage caused by the flood of XNUMX.
Crossing the Aqueduct Bridge to the east, you reach the ancient medieval bastion, the last remaining piece of the city walls. After a slight climb you enter the historic center. The castle of Gravina was built by Frederick II just outside the city. Designed on two levels, it has a rectangular plan, with four towers and various underground rooms. In 1456 it was seriously damaged by an earthquake. Abandoned starting in 1600, it began its slow decline until it reached its near destruction, probably due to the storm of 1687. It was the powerful Orsini family who held ownership of the castle until 1806, the year in which it passed to the Pomarici Santomasi who donated it to the city.
The historical center
The historic center of Gravina in Puglia, made up of narrow and winding streets, houses churches, palaces and museums. It is characterized by an almost circular area formed by the Piaggio, Fondovico and Borgo districts. One of the most fascinating places in the city is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, from the XNUMXth century. Not far away, in Piazza della Repubblica, is the Ducal Palace, an imposing XNUMXth century building, home of the Orsini family, where Pope Benedict XIII was born. In the square dedicated to him, however, there is the Bishop's Palace, built in the XNUMXth century and rebuilt in the XNUMXth.
Piazza Notar Domenico hosts the ancient Finya Chapter Library, which houses a book heritage of over 11 thousand volumes. Among the museums to visit, there is that of Pomarici Santomasi Foundation, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of peasant civilization and ancient crafts, the Capitolare Museum of Sacred Art. Very interesting is the underground city, created over the centuries by the inhabitants of Gravina under the same buildings. Today it is possible to visit it thanks to the Gravina Sotterranea Association. Through the tunnels, underground in the city, you can see cellars, cisterns and rock churches. Also worth visiting is the Alta Murgia National Park, an ideal place for hikers. Gravina is only 26 kilometers from Matera, the well-known city of the Sassi.
(Photo: Gravina Puglia, Facebook Page)
