Altamura

Altamura is a town in the province of Bari, Puglia, on the Murgia plateau, famous for Pane di Altamura, the only bread in Europe with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, made from just durum wheat flour, sourdough, salt, and water; Pliny the Elder is said to have called it the best bread in the world. The town's historic heart is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, commissioned by Frederick II of Swabia in 1232 — the only cathedral in Puglia built by imperial decree, blending Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Nearby, the Lamalunga cave preserves the "Man of Altamura," an exceptionally intact Neanderthal skeleton discovered in 1993 and dated to roughly 130,000–172,000 years old, calcite-encrusted within the cave; a visitor centre introduces the find. The town is also known for the Pulo di Altamura, one of the largest karst sinkholes in the Murgia, roughly 550 m in diameter and 92 m deep at about 477 m elevation.

• Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta — commissioned by Frederick II in 1232, the only Puglian cathedral built by imperial will, blending Romanesque and Gothic styles.
• Pulo di Altamura — a large karst sinkhole on the Murgia plateau, about 550 m in diameter and 92 m deep.
• Lamalunga Visitor Centre — introduces the Man of Altamura, an intact Neanderthal skeleton found in the adjacent cave system in 1993.

Pane di Altamura, the PDO-certified local bread, from bakeries in town.

Bari, the regional capital, is the nearest major city; Matera, just across the regional border in Basilicata, is also within reach.