The beautiful gravine of Laterza
is a natural paradise with rocky churches and dwellings, dug into rocks overlooking deep gullies. Deep in the heart of the ravine area, Laterza's ancient rocky landscape features a geomorphological formation that developed between 60 and 1 million years ago. Numerous archeological finds testify to the presence of humans in the area.Laterza, the heart of the “Terra delle Gravine” Regional Natural Park, is roughly 50 kilometers (31 miles) away from Taranto, nestled between the Murge of Santeramo, Altamura, and the rocky caves of Massafra and Mottola. In this wild paradise, the birthplace of the 11th-century Apennine civilization, there are 30 churches and many dwellings dug into the rock and tufa stone, some of which have yet to be explored.The rupestrian churches generally face onto the various gullies that merge into Via Concerie and are today the streets that flank the deep ravine. Of particular note are the rocky church of San Giorgio, the rocky Crypt Cantina Spagnola Crypt and the rocky Church of Cristo Giudice.
Not to be missed is the Spanish winery or Grotta dei Mammoci, 17th century rock church, just below the plateau of San Pietro near the bridge on the way to Ginosa.
It is the only cave where the frescoed representations are completed by sculptures in high relief.
To admire in particular the traces of sacred frescoes, such as the "Nativity" and the "Expulsion from the Earthly Paradise of Adam and Eve":
Castellaneta
is a town in Puglia, the easternmost region of Italy. The Puglia is made up of eight subregions with different rural characteristics. Castellaneta, is to the south of the "Murge" and north of "Serre Salentine". It belongs to a group of countries, called: "Terra delle gravine" (land of canyons).
Here you can go hiking, walking and eating good food. A few minutes by car there is "Castellaneta Marina", where there is the sea, it holds the blue flag in 2016. a two minute drive there is the wood where it is possible, through the paths to take long walks.
