Pulo di Altamura

The Pulo di Altamura is a large karst dolina on the Murgia plateau, with a rim more than 500 metres across. Caves in its walls show evidence of human use from the Palaeolithic, giving the geological formation a long archaeological history.

Why it matters

The Pulo is one of the most prominent landforms of the Alta Murgia. Rainwater and the region’s limestone have shaped the dolina over geological time. The caves add an archaeological dimension to the site, with evidence of Palaeolithic activity recorded by the Altamura in Tour operator.

What to notice

The broad, bowl-shaped depression is enclosed by steep limestone walls. Its scale is striking against the open plateau, and the caves in its rock walls record human presence long before the historic town of Altamura developed.

Context and history

The geographer Carmelo Colamonico published a scientific monograph on the Pulo in 1917. Later accounts describe the dolina as part of the karst landscape of the Murge and note its importance in the study of the plateau. Traditions connect individual caves with hermits and a small rock church, but these belong to local historical accounts rather than an established archaeological record.