Holiday apartment in Castellaneta: Gravinas, rock-cut culture and local cuisine

Castellaneta between gravinas and rock-cut culture

Castellaneta offers a journey through natural landscapes, sacred history, film culture and regional cuisine. The Montecamplo nature reserve is considered an area of considerable archaeological and natural-science interest. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment in Castellaneta can make their preferred combination of these themes the starting point for choosing their location.

Rock-cut history and sacred sites

Since prehistoric times, the rock-cut culture in the Castellaneta area used natural cavities in the tuff rock for residential and religious purposes. From the end of the 9th century, this settlement culture reached its greatest extent as part of the second Byzantine colonisation and the strong expansion of Italo-Greek monasticism. Santa Maria del Pesco is located on the edge of the Gravina di Castellaneta. Santa Maria di Costantinopoli is a rock-cut settlement dating from the 9th to the 10th century in the Gravina di Coriglione.

Santo Stefano contains a 14th-century rock-cut settlement with preserved frescoes dedicated to Saint Stephen and Saint Nicholas. The rock-cut site of San Michele Arcangelo in the Gravina di Santo Stefano contains 12th-century frescoes depicting Saint Michael and a Madonna and Child. The church of San Michele Arcangelo was designed in 1696 by the architect and Reformed friar Niccolò Melelli from Lequile and completed three years later.

Cathedral and Rodolfo Valentino

Castellaneta Cathedral, dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, stands on the edge of the Gravina Grande at the highest point of the historic centre. It has three naves, each with an apse; the central nave is covered by a precious, decorated wooden ceiling. The Museo Rodolfo Valentino MUV uses exhibition panels in the “Grande Amatore” hall to convey the life, seductive appeal and iconic roles of Rodolfo Valentino. These include 35 film posters and a reconstruction of the film set from “Il figlio dello Sceicco”.

Local cuisine with its own distinctive character

Local cuisine includes “a ciallèdd”: stale bread is soaked in water and seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano and tomato. “Le friselle” are considered a refined version of it. Local focaccia is eaten hot as soon as it comes fresh from the oven. “U calzon” is a Good Friday dish: a focaccia made from shortcrust pastry with braised onions, pitted olives, capers, raisins and anchovy fillets. The fermented ricotta forte “asckuant” is a typical product of the local cuisine and serves as a seasoning accompaniment for pasta, pulses, toasted bread, focaccia and fried panzerotti.

Choose a holiday apartment in Castellaneta based on your interests

For your travel planning, the Tratturo Melfi–Castellaneta adds a scenic accent: in the Castellaneta area, it includes a section with a natural area near the Gravina di Santo Stefano and the Gravina di Montecamplo. This allows you to choose a holiday apartment in Castellaneta according to your own interests – for example, gravinas, churches, museums and cuisine.

Other places for orientation

Lizzano, Avetrana, Laterza, Castellaneta Marina, Marina Di Ginosa, Specchiarica, Faggiano, Monteparano

For the higher-level travel overview: Taranto.