Underground Gravina: discovering the history of the Murge
Underground Gravina: discovering the history of the Murge
Beneath Gravina di Puglia is another city. A mysterious and intricate labyrinth of tunnels, churches, granaries and seventeenth-century ovens. A previously undiscovered wealth, discovered only in 2005 by a group of speleologists and now explorable in all its magic.
It is here that for centuries the true soul of the city perched between the Murge was hidden, dug into the tufa and protected by the city emerged for centuries, an imposing work fruit of the work of centuries. In its belly you can admire medieval towers, aqueducts, stairways and caves. Constructions shrouded in mystery all to be explored.
Follow our itinerary between history and legend to discover what you must not miss about the Underground Gravina.
The Gravina Sotteranea: history of the secretMurge .
The history of Gravina is that of an itinerant city, which over the centuries moved from the Botromagno hill (inhabited in Greek and Roman times) to the bowels of the characteristic ravine, a canyon about forty meters deep that gave the city its name. Here the population found refuge for centuries by digging dwellings, and the famous rock churches, into the crumbly rock.
Finally, the town moved to the right side of the great gorge where it still stands today.
At one time, the town's houses were built using directly the tuff of the area where they would rise. The spaces obtained from these excavations formed that network of caves, storerooms and underground cisterns connected to each building.
In the beginning they were underground shelters, useful to escape from the raids of the barbarians who constantly plundered the cities. As the centuries passed, the hypogea became cellars for the production of wine or the storage of drinks and food. In addition, some rooms were properly insulated to become cisterns for rainwater.
Precisely because of their nature as concealed places, these tunnels have fueled various legends such as the one related to the Ducal Palace owned by the Orsini Dukes: it seems that a secret road connected to the ancient Swabian Castle of Frederick II departed from its underground passages.
Or the story of the ghost Anna who was trapped in the cellars of a noble family of the city. Finally, there is no shortage of evidence about Masonic celebrations and ritualssuch as high reliefs representing a devil and the characteristic Masonic pyramid.
Gravina Underground: the routes
There are essentially two routesfor exploring the Underground Gravina: the more complete route that can be taken in about an hour and a half, which includes several underground sites, even those that are not communicating with each other; and a short 45-minute route with a general overview of the main sites.
The discoveries from historical, anthropological and social persp ectives that can be made during the underground walk in Gravina are invaluable. Beginning with the hard work of quarrymen, traditional winemaking, food preservation techniques and water supply management. All of these activities tell of the everyday underground life of the Gravina.
Among the noteworthy sights of Gravina Sotterranea is certainly the pantry of the Ducal Orsini Palace. A huge underground room with special niches carved into the tufa walls. Here were stored the foodstuffs needed in the palace that the servants brought back to the surface to set the table of the lords of Gravina.
To be just a step away from the wonders of the Gravina Sotterranea all you have to do is plan your trip by booking one of thevacation homes in the Land of Bari signed by Barbarhouse.
