Published on: 9 April 2013 | Last updated: 14 March 2018
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Distances | |
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Matera - Gravina in Puglia | 25 kms |
Gravina in Puglia - Castel del Monte | 48 kms |
Castel del Monte - Trani | 33 kms |
Gravina in Puglia is overshadowed by its more famous near-neighbour but well worth a visit. It’s on of a number of cities in Italy built on the tufo volcanic rock, with an underground city beneath it. Gravina Sotteranea is an example of the movement volunteer enthusiasts who have devoted their time and energy to exploring and opening up the lost cities beneath them (sometimes in the face of the opposition of the local authorities). This report from the regional television will give you a bit of a flavour of what there is to see:
The other star sight is the cripta di San Vito Vecchio possibly the most complete example of a chiesa rupestra at the Fondazione Santomasi (scroll down to the bottom of the article for the small slideshow. The frescoes have been rescued and the crypt recreated in the museum.
If that isn’t enough for you, the cathedral also has a the (claimed) arm of Thomas à Beckett in the cathedral.
The tour continues from Gravina in Puglia across the Alta Murgia national park to Trani on the coast. On the way it visits another UNESCO World Heritage site - the Castel del Monte built for Federico II. The unique design of the castle makes it something of an enigma. it never had a moat, and it doesn’t seem to have been designed to be a defensive structure. The castle is an octagon with 8 octagonal towers and each floor has eight rooms around an octagonal courtyard. The repeated recurrence of the number 8 in the construction and decoration has lead to speculation that it had some sort of religious or other numerological significance.
From Castel del Monte we descend to Trani one of the most elegant cities on this stretch of the Adriatic coast.
More information
Places to stay
Articles in this series
- Puglia Grand Tour – Overview
- Puglia Grand Tour – 1
- Puglia Grand Tour – 2
- Puglia Grand Tour – 3
- Puglia Grand Tour – 4
- Puglia Grand Tour – 5
- Puglia Grand Tour – 6
- Puglia Grand Tour – 7
- Puglia Grand Tour – 8
- Puglia Grand Tour – 9 – onward connections
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