Centro Visite Lamalunga

The Lamalunga Visitor Centre occupies a converted masseria in the Murgia countryside near Altamura. It interprets the karst landscape and the discovery of the fossil known as Altamura Man in the nearby cave.

Why it matters

The centre connects an important palaeoanthropological discovery with the geology that preserved it. It is a place of interpretation distinct from the cave containing the skeleton.

What to notice

Geological and speleological material explains the relationship between limestone, water and underground cavities. Three-dimensional film documentation records the exploration of the cave and the fossil's calcite-covered setting. The surrounding plateau provides a wider landscape context for these themes.

Context and history

Speleologists discovered the skeleton in 1993. Research subsequently used techniques including laser scanning and photogrammetry to investigate the remains and their setting. The centre forms part of the Uomo di Altamura museum network, alongside institutions in the town.