Holiday apartment in Laterza – Gravina, rock churches and art

Laterza offers two special points of access: the expansive Gravina with its protected nature and a diverse cultural landscape featuring Palazzo Marchesale, the MuMa, the Sanctuary of Maria SS.ma Mater Domini and rock churches. Nature trails and hiking stages stand alongside works of art, religious motifs and a festival culture rich in tradition.

Gravina and protected nature

The Gravina di Laterza stretches for 12 km and reaches 500 metres at its widest point. The Oasi Gravina di Laterza has been part of the Terra delle Gravine Regional Park since 2005. The Oasi Gravina di Laterza and this part of the regional park are designated both as an SPA, meaning a Special Protection Area for birds, and as an SAC, meaning a Special Area of Conservation. This makes the Gravina a clear focal point for anyone wishing to combine their trip with landscapes and nature observation.

The Oasi Gravina di Laterza can currently be visited by prior request and reservation with the person responsible for the Oasi. It has a car park, a visitor centre with a classroom and a diorama of the Gravina, as well as a network of nature trails with educational and informational panels. For your planning, these specific points of contact are just as important as the protected status of the area.

Nature, trails and choosing a holiday apartment in Laterza

Under suitable conditions, the Oasi Lipu is the starting point for a challenging but manageable 7-km hike. It begins at the viewpoint and the small visitor information centre, descends into the depths and then leads out of the Gravina di Laterza. Those wishing to compare different hiking days will also find two considerably longer routes: the section from Laterza to Ginosa is Stage 6 of the Via Ellenica, which is part of the Cammino Materano project, and is 14 km long. The section from Laterza to Matera is Stage 8 of the Via Appia and is 28 km long.

Palazzo Marchesale, art and religious tradition

In the 16th century, Giovanni Battista I D’Azzia had Laterza’s old castle transformed into a late-Renaissance residential palace, the present-day Palazzo Marchesale. Palazzo Marchesale houses the IAT office for tourist assistance and information, the MuMa and the La Cavallerizza conference hall. The MuMa was founded in 2015 to preserve the memory of Laterza’s maiolica art.

The MuMa contains several specific works of art: The Tondolo Collection includes a ceremonial plate with riders, created towards the end of the 17th century and attributed to Angelo Antonio D’Alessandro. The Mater-Domini Collection includes a blue-monochrome panel depicting the Crucifixion from 1703. There is also a fresco from the mid-17th century in the courtyard of Palazzo Marchesale. It depicts Saint Anne with the Virgin Mary portrayed as a child.

The Sanctuary of Maria SS.ma Mater Domini is also one of Laterza’s religious landmarks. Its high altar bears an image of the apparition before the shepherd Paolo Tria, painted in Rome in 1861 by Nicola Nisio. The patronal festival of Maria SS. Mater Domini originated in 1728 and is celebrated in Laterza from 18 May to 21 May. In this way, enduringly visible art and an event firmly rooted in the annual calendar complement each other.

Rock churches at the Gravina

The rock church in Contrada San Vito lies on the edge of the Gravina, to the left of the bridge. At the altar there is a niche with a fresco of Saint Vitus; frescoes of Saints Cosmas and Damian can be seen beside it. The fresco cycle in this rock church as a whole is dated to the 13th to 14th centuries and documents the development from a Greek-Byzantine-influenced style of painting to Apulian Gothic.

A rock church lies in the northern part of the rock settlement in the Gravina Valle del Cervo, which is partly incorporated into Laterza’s southern outskirts. It is located west of today’s Via Raffaello Sanzio on the western edge of the Gravina. Together with Contrada San Vito, this part of Laterza shows how closely the landscape, sacred art and traces of historical settlement are connected.

Discover more destinations

If you would like to consider other destinations for your travel planning in addition to Laterza, you can also find Maruggio, Lizzano, Crispiano, Monteiasi, San Pietro In Bevagna, Roccaforzata, Martina Franca and Faggiano here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Taranto.