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A panorama of the Cathedral and the river Gravina.
Gravina in Puglia

Gravina in Puglia is in Apulia, a region in the southeast of Italy.

Understand

Gravina is in a peculiar territory made out of Karst. The city's subsoil has many underground cavities. Gravina is crossed by the Gravina river on its eastern side. The river has modeled a canyon-like conformation over the years, on which there is a copious amount of rocky churches. The climate is typically Mediterraneean: winters are relatively mild, with temperatures that usually don't go below 0°C. On the other hand, summers are hot and dry.

History

Gravina has a very long history. Its territory proves to be inhabited since the ancient Paleolithic given the presence of the Gravina river, while the most consistent evidence dates back to the Neolithic, since 5950 BC.

At the time of Alexander I of Epirus, Gravina became a Polis that had the right to mint coins. After the Third Samnite War (305 BC), it became a Roman Municipium, touched by the Appian Way. Gravina endured different invasions and after the little inhabited centers were destroyed, the inhabitants were forced to move to the underlying ravine, where there were already different caves, but more buildings were added.

With the downfall of the Western Roman Empire, Gravina, as the rest of the Italian Peninsula, was ravaged by different populations. Around the year 1006 Gravina became a county, after that it was elevated to marquisate.

In 1267 Gravina became a feud of the House of Anjou. During the 13th century, many knight monks came and became lords of Rome's House of Orsini. In 1380, Francis of the House of Orsini was a Prefect in Rome and elevated the feud of Gravina to a Duchy.

The Orsinis were lords from 1380 to 1816. Pietro Francesco Orsini was born there in 1649. During the Bourbon period, oppression and violations of elementary human rights increased. Protagonist of the historical events of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it contributed greatly to the unification of Italy and the First World War. A war memorial in the municipal park was dedicated to them. Later on, the city was partially damaged by bombing by German planes during World War II.

Get in

By plane

The closest airport is in Bari.

  • 1 Bari-Palese International Airport Karol Wojtiła. The airport is reachable by car, taxi, buses and trains. It hosts several air companies and the prices may vary according to destinations. In addition, there are also many services: VIP Lounge, Fast Track, Airport Passes, Shops, Restaurants and Pubs, Shops, Banks, Free Wi-Fi and a Conference Room. (updated Apr 2023)
    Gravina's Train Station in 2016

By car

  • from Northern Italy, take the Autostrada_A14_Italia Type-A Motorway Bologna-Taranto.
  • from Bari and Potenza, take the Strada_Statale_96_Italia State Highway.
  • from Canosa di Puglia and Foggia, take the Strada Statale 97 Italia State Highway.
  • from Matera, take the Strada_Provinciale_53_Italia Provincial Road.

By train

Get around

On foot

The streets of the city's historical center are to be explored by foot.

By car

The city has a big area of Traffic-Restricted Zone (ZTL) in its centre, more details can be found here. Some streets have blue parking slots, which means they aren't free of charge.

See

Churches

  • 1 Co-cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta), Piazza Benedetto XIII, ☏ +39 0803269065. The facade, tripartite by two pilasters, is made up of three portals, of which the central one is larger but unfinished, and a rose window, a remnant of the ancient Romanesque church, in the center of which is a bas-relief of the Assumption. The two side portals are embellished with high reliefs and two small statues depicting Christ; the left portal is dated 1495. The central portal is a recent work: it is made up of 24 panels that tell evangelical episodes. The bell tower was completed in 1698 by Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Orsini with the construction of the "cipollone"(Big Onion) on its top.
The Cathedral

Protruding from the left aisle and overhanging the ravine is the so-called big chapel, built in the first half of the 17th century, with two floors. The interior of the church has three naves divided by columns with bare capitals. The ceiling is in carved and gilded wood, in Baroque style: four large canvases were applied to it in the seventeenth century. There are several side chapels, including the one dedicated to the Archangel Michael, patron saint of the city; these chapels are embellished with polychrome marble altars, mostly from the 1700s, and the work of the Neapolitan Francesco Cimafonte. In the presbytery there is an important wooden choir from 1561 and a large organ. (updated Mar 2023)

  • 2 Santa Maria delle Domenicane Church, Piazza Benedetto XIII, 23, ☏ +390803251307. The church has a single nave and preserves the typical 17th-century grated women's gallery. After a century there was the need to expand the church by lengthening it on the side of the monastery and rebuilding the two side altars, one dedicated to the Madonna del Rosario and the other to San Domenico di Guzman. In the first years of the 19th century the flooring was redone with majolica tiles and the side altars were covered in marble.
S. Maria delle Domenicane Church

On the high altar there is a painting of the Assumption of Mary by Carlo Rosa and on the entrance door there is a grated choir loft and an organ dating back to the 18th century. The church has a two-storey facade marked by pilasters and a crowning with fittings, two large oval oculi and a tribolated window. In the monastery there were a considerable amount of paintings but a conspicuous part passed into state property after the suppression laws. (updated Mar 2023)

  • 3 Santa Maria del Suffragio Church (Chiesa del Purgatorio), Piazza Domenico Notar, 4, ☏ +390803269065, . The church was built as a funeral chapel for the Orsini family between 1649 and 1654 for the celebration of suffrage masses for the souls in purgatory. The church has a characteristic entrance portal with a tympanum on which there are two skeletons.
Chiesa del Purgatorio

(updated Mar 2023)

  • Madonna delle Grazie Church
    4 Madonna delle Grazie Church (Chiesa dell'Aquila), Via Madonna delle Grazie, 23, ☏ +39 0803265860. The most characteristic aspect of this church is the presence of a large eagle in bas-relief on the facade. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 5 St. Sebastian Church, Via S. Sebastiano, 56. It is a church and also a convent built in 1474. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 6 St. Theresa Church, Vico S. Matteo, 1. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 7 St. Augustine Church, Piazza Pellicciari,15. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 8 St. Sophia Church, Via Donato Cristiani, 43. The tradition speaks of an ancient church, rebuilt in its present form at the end of the 15th century. With a single nave, it retains a gilded wooden ceiling with rosettes, surrounded by a gilded wooden women's gallery. Of extraordinary beauty is the funeral mausoleum which houses the mortal remains of Angela Castriota Scanderberg, descendant of the Albanian hero Giorgio Scandenberg and wife of Duke Ferdinando II Orsini. The monument 6.60 m high and 3.20 m wide, carries a double-headed eagle, the coat of arms of Albania, in the middle of each shield. A monastery is annexed to the church of Santa Sofia which housed Poor Clares until the 19th century, when the order was suppressed.
Church of Santa Sofia

(updated Mar 2023)

  • 9 St. Francis of Assisi Church, Largo S. Francesco, 6, ☏ +390803269163. The current church dates back to the 1500s, and was built on an existing church from the 1300s. The 18th-century bell tower and the cloister stand out. (updated Mar 2023)
S. Francesco's Church Bell Tower
  • 10 St. Nicholas Church, Via S. Nicola, 1, ☏ +390803251275. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 11 St. Dominic Church, Piazza Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour, 16, ☏ +390803261278. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 12 St. Lucia Church, Calata S. Lucia, 11. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 13 Church of Saints Nicholas and Cecilia, Via S. Nicola, 1, ☏ +390803251275. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 14 Church of the Assumption. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 15 St. George Church. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 16 St. John Baptist Church, Piazza Pellicciari, 19, ☏ +390803251146. Church of the 15th century, with a rather simple façade. The roof has ribs that partially recall the style of Gothic churches. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 17 St. John the Evangelist Church, Via San Giovanni Evangelista, 21. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 18 St. Bartholomew Church, Calata Grotte S. Michele, 48 (near the rock church of S. Michele alle Grotte). (updated Mar 2023)
  • 19 Mater Gratiae Church, Via San Giovanni Evangelista, 19. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 20 St. Felix Church, Largo Cappuccini, 6, ☏ +390803267692. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 21 Church of Jesus, Piazza Plebiscito. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 22 Tota Crypt (Cripta sant’Elia). (updated Mar 2023)
  • St. Mark's crypt. (updated Mar 2023)
  • Cripta di S. Maria della Neve. 
  • 23 St. Stephan's crypt. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 24 Church of the Eternal Father (Deesis), Via Madonna della Stella. It is incomplete, as evidence of this, some arches and columns are visible and introduce the main nave, without apse; next to it there are two furrows used for burial. There were frescoes dedicated to St. Nicholas and St. Peter, subsequently taken and restored at the E. P. Santomasi Foundation. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 25 Church of the Most Holy Assumption. Today this church is deconsecrated, inside it had an altar and various religious paintings; according to lore, in the 15th century the murder of a heretic bishop took place there. In 1714 Pope Benedict XIII decreed the end of the celebratory functions and their transfer to the Cathedral, due to the dilapidated conditions in which the church was. (updated Mar 2023)

Rock Churches

Cave Church St. Basil of Caesarea
  • 26 Rock Church of St. Basil (Rione Piaggio). It is assumed that this church dates back to the 10th century, it is divided into four naves and has an apse located laterally to the entrance. There are some frescoes that are partially visible today. (updated Mar 2023)
Madonna Della Stella Belltower
  • 27 Rock Church of Madonna della Stella (Santa Maria della Stella), Via Fontana La Stella, ☏ +39 3500818462, . Tu Th Sa Su 10:30-17:00. The name derives from a tradition according to which a fresco of the Madonna and Child with a star on her forehead was found there. Probably used in pagan times for a fertility deity, it became a Marian shrine in the 16th century. The church, whose original access was from the Rione Piaggio, is presented in a single room with side benches. The church can now be accessed by skirting the ancient city walls and crossing the 18th century Viadotto bridge. Offerings welcome. (updated Mar 2023)
Rock Church of San Michele delle Grotte
  • 28 Rock Church of St. Michael delle Grotte, Calata Grotte S. Michele. The church was dug out of a single huge tuff rock probably between the 8th and 10th centuries, it also annexes other small caves near the main hall. In one of these, according to legend, the massacre of the inhabitants of Gravina by the Saracens took place during the third incursion in 999, an event remembered by an epigraph placed on the wall of the same cave. The human skulls and bones are visible there, however, more likely belong to corpses moved here during the 17th-18th century.
    On May 8th of each year it is the place for the celebration of the Feast of San Michele delle Grotte in memory of the legendary apparition of San Michele in a cave of Monte Sant'Angelo. On this occasion, the inhabitants of the neighborhood decorate the streets with the so-called "balloni".     (updated Mar 2023)
San Vito Vecchio Frescos
  • 29 Crypt of San Vito Vecchio, Via S. Vito vecchio. This rock church featured some beautiful late 13th-century frescoes, but the site has been abandoned and used as a waste dump. In 1956 the Italian State acquired the property by detaching the frescoes which are now exhibited in Palazzo Pomarici. The frescoes present a Pantocrator seated on a throne and figures of Saints. It is available for visits after booking at Gravina's Museum (see "More" section). (updated Mar 2023)
Grotte delle sette camere
  • 30 Caves of the Seven Rooms, Via Madonna della Stella (on the right side of the ravine in front of the balcony of the cave church of San Michele). These are seven caves worked by man, intercommunicating with each other dating back to the early Christian era due to the presence of an inscription in early Christian Greek and symbols of primitive Christianity. This reminds the visitor of the presence of the first Christians in the land of Gravina to be traced back to the first centuries of Christianity. (updated Mar 2023)

Civil architecture

Aqueduct Bridge
  • 31 Aqueduct Bridge on Gravina's river (Viadotto Bridge). It is a double-arched bridge which was erected in 1778 to reach the sanctuary of the Madonna della Stella. It was also used as an aqueduct to supply the city with water. Even today, it connects the two banks of the Gravina stream and is considered as the symbol of the city. (updated Mar 2023)
Gravina Sotterranea
  • 32 Gravina Sotterranea, Via Antonio Meucci, 10, ☏ +39 328 541 5379, . It is advised to book your visit online or by calling.. The subsoil of Gravina is full of karst cavities and tunnels used in the past as cellars and shelters. These spaces are now abandoned, having lost their original use, but a local association takes care of tourist development through private visits. Here hides a different perspective on the city and its soul, explained by the guides who will passionately take you on an exploration. (updated Mar 2023)
Clock Tower
  • 33 Clock Tower, Viale Orsini, 61 (nearby the Orsini's Ducal Palace). It is a Neo-Gothic style building erected on the city walls. In 1892 a clock from the Curci firm of Naples was placed there with four dials. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 34 Orsini Ducal Palace, Via Matteotti, 30. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 35 Gemmis-Pellicciari Palace, Corso Aldo Moro, 17. Eighteenth-century palace built by the Pellicciari nobles, today belonging to the Barons de Gemmis of Castel Foce. It is a large elegant noble palace with arches and it has two towers to the north and south. It is overlooked by a covered veranda. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 36 Popolizio Palace, Via Guglielmo Marconi, 17, ☏ +39 337238139, . Historical mansion with a museum. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 37 Gravina's Castle (Castello Svevo). Wanted by the Emperor Frederick II, it was built on the top of a hill north of the citadel between 1223 and 1231, it was used mostly for the emperor's hunting activity. The territory included several wooded areas called Guardialto and a lake, now disappeared. The building is rectangular in shape, measuring 29.4 x 58.7 m, in its current state of ruins; it was built with two floors, surrounded by a small courtyard, and was accessed from an entrance called cum porta magna, the long sides included four square towers, of which only the bases remain, and there was also a water tank in the basement which ensured a sufficient supply of water. The ground floor was equipped with various deposits, ovens, kitchens and stables, while the top floor contained a room which housed the sovereign and the men during hunting trips or general meetings of the Roman Curia. Castello di Gravina (Q3662626) on Wikidata (updated Mar 2023)
  • 38 Naturalistic Area of Capotenda. The toponym Capotenda probably refers to an area where people used to camp, as a way station, as Gravina has always been an important area along historic roads. It is characterized by two parts, a wider and flatter one, closer to the Gravina stream, and a narrower and steeper one, with spectacular rocks that hold containment water tanks. In May it is vary easy to spot the Imperial Raven, if you are into birdwatching. (updated Mar 2023)
Le Quattro Fontane
  • 39 Le Quattro Fontane, Piazza Benedetto XIII. This fountain was inaugurated in 1778 and built by the duke of Gravina, Domenico Amedeo Orsini. It was rebuilt in 1858 due to subsidence in the floor below (since Gravina is full of underground quarries). (updated Mar 2023)
  • 40 Municipal Park (Villa Comunale). The municipal park is one of the meeting points of the city due to the presence of large shady trees. You will see many people walking around at various times in this area. In the middle of it there is also the Monument to the fallen of the Great War. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 41 Cola Cola Monument, Via Bari. Located in the vicinity of one of Gravina's entrances. It is a reproduction of a Cola Cola whistle (see "Buy" section) (updated Mar 2023)
Pope Benedict XVIII Monument
  • 42 Pope Benedict XIII Monument, Piazza Benedetto XVIII. Born Pietro Francesco Orsini, he was a pope originally from Gravina between 1724 and 1730. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 43 Botromagno Archaeological Site. It is the area in which the oldest nucleus of the Gravina civilization originated. The Botromagno Archaeological Site is being studied by prestigious British and Canadian research institutes since 1966. It also is one of the biggest archaeological sites in Southern Italy. (updated Mar 2023)
  • Padre Eterno Archaeological Site. It was the first archaeological site excavated by researchers in Gravina and, being a few steps away from the frescoed cave-church of the Eternal Father, it took its name. In addition to being a necropolis, the Padre Eterno area was also an inhabited area, with places of worship, dating back to the Iron Age. It is likely that there was also an artisan quarter given the discovery of cisterns, pipes, aqueducts, loom weights and furnaces. Today most of the finds are on display in the Museum of the Ettore Pomarici Santomasi Foundation. (updated Mar 2023)
Finian Library
  • 44 Finian Library (Biblioteca Capitolare Finia), Piazza Notar Domenico, ☏ +39 0808413518. The Library is one of the oldest libraries in Puglia, its book heritage has over 11,000 volumes. It was founded in 1686 by Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Orsini. The patrimony was enlarged also thanks to Pope Benedict XIII. The most conspicuous donation is due to Cardinal Francesco Antonio Finy, hence the name of the library. (updated Mar 2023)

Museums

Ettore Pomarici Santomasi Museum
  • 45 Museum of Ettore Pomarici Santomasi Foundation, Via Museo, 20, ☏ +39 0803251021, . There is an archaeological section with finds from the site of Botromagno (VII-III century BC), an art gallery with 260 paintings, numismatic collections and ceramics. In one of the rooms of the museum there are the frescoes of the Crypt of San Vito Vecchio detached from the original site and kept there. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 46 Chapter Museum of Sacred Art, Piazza Benedetto XIII, 25. closed to the public. The museum collection consists of works of sacred art dating from between the 11th and 20th centuries, arranged in three rooms according to their typology. In the "Sala dei Paramenti" you can admire masterpieces embroidered with Baroque motifs alternating with Renaissance and classical decorations. The "Sala degli argenti" contains chalices and reliquaries from the 15th to the 18th century, including the effigy of St. Filippo Neri. Finally, the picture gallery and parchments room is a treasure trove of precious ancient documents, including the 1091 parchment of Umfrido d'Altavilla, Count of Gravina. Among the paintings, the 17th-century canvas "Sant'Ignazio di Antiochia e Santa Bibiana" by Francesco Fracanzano. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 47 Archaeological Civic Museum, Piazza Benedetto XIII, ☏ +39 0803221040, . The museum in the former episcopal seminary is under construction and is not open to the public. It collects finds that can be dated in a chronological span that includes the 8th century BC up to the 13th century AD. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 48 Teatro Vida! (Il Vida), Via Giardini, 72, ☏ +39 080 326 7377, . This theater offers courses, such as acting and stage presence. There is a tiny selection of shows to watch and the atmosphere is cozy. Definitely an experience to try out! (updated Jul 2023)

Do

Events

  • 1 Fiera di San Giorgio, Via Spinazzola (Centro fiere). from April 20th to 25th, the date may change. The Regional Fair of San Giorgio is the oldest fair in Italy. There is a document certifying the restoration of the fair, granted by Charles of Anjou dating back to 1294, the fair sees the display of its products by operators in the agriculture, handicraft, food and wine sectors. During the fair days, a medieval historical re-enactment is also organised. (updated Mar 2023)
    Gravina's Fair
  • Saint Michael's Festival (Festa Patronale di San Michele Arcangelo). September 29th. It is Gravina's most important festival. There are lighting compositions to decorate the city centre and also just behind Gravina's fair site an itinerant amusement park will be installed. Near Gravina's city park in Via Orsini there will be different stalls open to the public, with different products for sale. (updated Mar 2023)
  • Gathering of Historical Parades (Raduno dei Cortei Storici Medievali), ☏ +39 350 011 5678, . September 15th-16th-17th, 2023. This is a famous gathering of historical parades and is held in Gravina every year in September. Along with the main event (the parade), in the city center there will be several stalls selling souvenirs. If you are into Middle Age history, this is an event you cannot miss! (updated Apr 2023)

Wellness

Panoramic views

  • 3 Belvedere sulla Gravina, Piazza Benedetto XIII. From here you can admire the panorama of part of the historic center but above all the Gravina (canyon) and the bridge. Also, it is very impressive at night with the artistic lighting on the rocks. 
    Gravina's view
  • 4 Panorama frontale, via Civita. From this point you can see the other rock environments on the Gravina including the Grotta delle Sette Camere (Cave of the Seven Rooms). 

Buy

Gravina's cola-cola

Among the local products to buy there is Verdeca wine, a sweet wine from Gravina prepared by mixing local vines and Malvasia.

The cola-cola is a bird-shaped whistle, very similar to the Cucù from Matera. Traditionally it was given as a toy for children or given to women as a wedding gift if it was larger in size. In addition to the Casa Museo (see below), several itinerant vendors exhibit them in the streets of the centre.

  • 1 Casa Museo della "Cola Cola", Piazza Benedetto XIII, 24 (in front of the Cathedral), ☏ +39 3881841197. M-F 09:00-18:30, Sa 09:00-19:00, Su 08:30-20:00. A house museum, but also a shop where Cola Cola of all types and sizes are produced and sold. It is run by young people. It will be a fun experience to discover the history and the different sounds this gift-whistle can make. Cola-cola is among the most typical symbols of the city. 

Eat

On Sunday evening most of the restaurants are closed, even in the summer period. Therefore, the risk of not being able to easily find a place to eat should be considered.

Piazza della Repubblica, city center

Modest prices

  • 1 Forno San Francesco, Larghetto S. Francesco, 4, ☏ +39 0804044477. Bakery. It also sells Apulian Rustici (typical dish). 
  • 2 Orsini caffè, Viale Orsini, 99. 
  • 3 Porta Centrale, Piazza Arcangelo Scacchi, 7, ☏ +39 0802371492. Bistrot, Restaurant and Pizzeria. 
  • 4 Máscalzoni, Piazza della Repubblica, 27, ☏ +393516330435, . Tu-Su 18:00 - 00:00. Sells panzerotti and calzoni, Apulian dishes. 

Medium prices

Drink

On summer evenings, the city center is filled with families and young people who stroll and meet in the squares and pubs.

Many vending machines were installed in the city center, they sell all kinds of drinks, but there are also many options nearby because of the elevated number of pubs in the center of Gravina.


Sleep

Style
This article does not match our manual of style or needs other editing. Plunge forward with these suggested fixes: Listings must be subdivided by price: Budget/Mid-range/Splurge

Stay safe

The size of the city and the characteristics of the people make Gravina a rather peaceful and danger-free city.

Stay healthy

Nearby

Gravina's Pulicchio
  • 4 Pulicchio di Gravina (about 10 km north of the city, near SP238). It is a karst sinkhole, one of the largest karst cavities in Puglia after the Pulo of Altamura. It differs from the latter in the slight steepness of the walls and in the absence of caves. The maximum diameter is equal to 530 m and a difference in height of 87 m. The origin of the Pulicchio di Gravina is, in a similar way to the Pulo di Altamura, Gurio Lamanna and other sinkholes in the area, explainable through karst phenomena, i.e. the double action, physical (erosion) and chemical (dissolution), to which the of the Murge have been subjected over the millennia. Pulicchio di Gravina (Q16592947) on Wikidata Pulicchio di Gravina on Wikipedia 
Gurio Lamanna
  • 5 Gurio Lamanna (Gurlamanna). on the border with Altamura in the immediate vicinity of the Pulicchio di Gravina and the Tre Paduli grave. The sinkhole has an external perimeter of over 3 km, an average width of about 900 m and a maximum difference in height of 38 m. The walls have a slight slope compared to the nearby Pulicchio di Gravina. The bottom of the sinkhole is flat "like a board"; such a flat expanse is very rare. The origin of the karst basin of Gurio Lamanna can only be of a karst nature. The water coming from the related hydrographic basin slowly eroded the area (according to the usual double mechanical and chemical action of karst phenomena), generating the extended flat area full of fertile soil that can be seen today. Gurio Lamanna (Q55423516) on Wikidata Gurio Lamanna on Wikipedia 
  • 6 Campo dei missili (formerly a NATO military base), Strada Provinciale Fondo Valle Basentello. 
Bosco Difesa Grande
  • 7 Bosco Difesa Grande, . The Difesa Grande forest is a protected natural area in Puglia, 6 km south of the municipality of Gravina in Puglia, in the Murge area. Ideal place to go hiking. 

Go next

The following destinations are easily accessible by train, at a fairly cheap price.

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