알타무라‬에서 가장 멋진 ‪19‬개의 천연기념물

Metal and tuff come together to give life to this truly particular artistic park, in the heart of the Matera Murgia and a short distance from the Palomba sanctuary and the rock church of the Madonna delle Vergini.

The meeting between tuff and metal gives life to this singular sculpture park on the outskirts of Matera

Inside an old tuff quarry stands the park with a permanent art exhibition of the works of Antonio Paradiso, promoter of the birth of the park itself

The Mercadante Forest is a protected wooded area that extends for 1,300 hectares between the municipalities of Cassano delle Murge and Altamura. It was born in 1928 from a reforestation project after a flood, and hosts different species of trees, such as oaks, cedars and cypresses. It is the ideal place to cool off among the trees on hot summer days and take a break in one of the areas equipped with picnic tables.

sculpture park created in a former tuff quarry

The Pulo di Altamura is a sinkhole of karst origin of the bowl type, created by the channeling of rainwater right at this point. This created a more or less circular depression with a diameter of about 500 m. with a maximum depth of 75 meters. Along the walls, which are very steep in some points, caves and ravines have been created which indicate the different levels of excavation by the waters. These caves represent a real archaeological heritage because they were inhabited since the earliest ages of prehistory. The route includes an unpaved stretch of about 1 km that can also be easily covered by racing bike.

One of the most beautiful naturalistic places in Puglia. The view is breathtaking from every perspective; it can be easily reached by MTB. It is preferable to explore it on foot due to the cavities dug in the ground and the considerable presence of stones that make the MTB experience quite impervious.

beautiful a stone's throw from ancient rock churches