| Altamura |
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| cities and towns in apulia | |
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It possesses a fine Romanesque cathedral begun in 1232 and restored in 1330 and 1531 , the portal being especially remarkable. It is one of the four Palatine churches of Apulia, the others being the cathedral of Acquaviva , the Basilica of San Nicola of Bari and the church of Monte Sant'Angelo Sul Gargano . The surrounding territory is fertile. The medieval walls for which the city has its name, erected by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II , rest upon the megalithic walls of an ancient city of unknown name. These early walls are of rough blocks of stone without mortar. The area was densely settled in the Bronze Age (La Croce sttlement and necropolis). Ancient tombs with fragments of vases and terracottas have also been found, of which there is a collection at the Museo Archeologico Statale di Altamura. There are caves which have been used as primitive tombs or dwellings, and a group of some fifty Tumuli near Altamura. The opera composer Saverio Mercadante (1795–1870) was born at Altamura. The 400,000 year old calcified Altamura Man was discovered in the nearby limestone cave, ''grotta di Lamalunga.'' The 31st tank regiment of the Italian Army is stationed at Altamura. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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