The rocky churches of Gravina in Puglia

Gravina in Puglia is an Apulian town very similar to Matera.








Both of them are clinged onto hills (Murgia) with at bottom the Bradano river.

Gravina presents an immense cultural heritage.

Talking about rocky churches, Gravina has 30 of them. 

I strongly wish to visit this Apulian town, so I call the tourist office (IAT) which re-directs me to the cultural association Benedetto XIII.

The association provides a tourist guide which will lead us to visit three rocky churches: Chiesa di St. Maria della Stella, Chiesa di St. Basilio, and eventually, chiesa di St. Michele.

We agree with the guide to catch up at 11 by the Purgatorio church.

We arrive in Gravina at 10.50, just in time for a quick coffea.

It's with me Lucia, with another couple, friends of us, Francesco and Angelica.

At 11 we catch up with our guide, Giuseppe is his name.

After having exchanged pleasantries, I ask Giuseppe whether foreigner tourists have come to tour in Gravina.

"Yes, mainly Germans, followed by French and Austrians." He replies.

We cross the eighteenth-century bridge which link the antique part of Gravina to the most recent one.

The purpose of the bridge is to carry water as well.

It was a crucial infrastructure to the development of the town.

Giuseppe conducts us to see the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Stella.

This church was originally meant to be a Synagogue.

In Gravina used to live peacefully Muslims, Jews and Catholics.

Santa Maria della Stella is located within a complex of rooms, among which we find a heathen cave where the fertility rite was practiced.

Indeed, we see stuck on the wall the Demeter's mask. Beside that, there is an additional statue which symbolizes a pregnant woman.

"Human beings have lived in these caves till the end of the Neolithic included. After that, people have relocated on the top of the hill called Botromagno." Giuseppe points out.

We are told that Gravina (Botromagno) and Gioia del Colle (Monte Sarnace) represent so far the two main locations of Peuceti, a pre-roman population with Illiric roots which inhabited the center of Apulia. 

We move on. This time is the round of the church of San Basilio, located underneath a road.  

This tiny church is dedicated to San Basilio, who was born in Cappadocia (Turkey).

Unfortunately, the frescos have disappered due to water coming down the street. 

We get out the church not before having signed the guestbook.

While walking towards the next church, we pass by the fondazione Pomarici Santomasi, which will definitely be my next destination for a future visit here in Gravina. 

Giuseppe precedes us to go to see the St. Michele church, which originally was a cathedral, the first cathedral of Gravina.

Let me say that this church is outstanding.

If you are fond of such art, you'd be delighted to be here.

The church is wide. 

It still preserves frescos which portray the Christ Pantocrator.

I realize just nearby the church an impressive ossuary, which is the result of the Saracen conquest of Gravina which took place in 999 A.C. 

I'm lost in meditation in this suggestive location.

It's almost 1.30.  It's lunch time.

We have to go back to Altamura where Lucia lives.

Therefore, we come back to the meeting point with our guide.

We give him a donation for his association, shake hands and eventually leave.

However, I have the feeling that I will come back to Gravina pretty soon: there is still a lot which is worth to be admired.

art made in Altamura

A couple of days ago, while walking along C.so Federico II di Svevia in Altamura, I came across Stefania Digioia, a young local painter.

Stefania is a talented artist. 

She holds a permanent exhibition in her shop called laboratorio SD.

It seems to me that Stefania has got inspired by the so-called street art.

“You know” I confess “when I first saw the Banksy’s works, I felt shivers down my back”.

Stefania has attended the Liceo artistico “Carlo Levi” in Matera. 

Then, she got the degree in Accademia di Belle Arti of Rome.

“I have won two grants” Stefania says “the first allowed me to visit the Biennale in Venice. The second one  to travel to Berlin, of which I have visited musuems and gallery.”.

She adds: “I am very much interested in people, especially those who have suffered for their sexual orientation, like the LGBT".

Stefania loves her roots. She enjoys to live in the south of Italy: “the quality of life here is high compared to big cities such as Rome or Milan”.

The painted chairs are one of her most successful works.

“From my point of view, the chair is one of the symbol of the south. People still use to sit down on the chair outdoor, either on balcony or just outside the courtyard”. Stefania explains.

Stefania is very much appreciated by foreigner buyers.

As result of this, she will likely move to Matera, a city which is just 10 miles far. 

Actually, Matera is becoming one of the main Italian touristic destination, having recently been designated as European capital of culture 2019.

The leitmotiv of her artistic research is memory.

Stefania reveals: “I went to Auschwitz to make a photo-reportage, even though I have never published or shared those pictures because I felt overwhelmed”.

Stefania believes that there is a lot of to do in our communities, especially dealing with teenagers, who look nowadays completely disoriented.

I ask her what is the secret of happiness. She thinks about it for a while, then, with a smile painted on her face she replies : “Surely, rushing to make money brings to the opposite direction of happiness”.

How true is her statement...

If you wish to find out more about Stefania, please visit her website