Papa and I left Matera late morning, after spending two wonderful days there! Pam and Kenith went to Rome. We drove just 25 km or so from Matera, to Altamura, a small city that my Italian friend, Ornella, told me about. We entered the old city through a stone gateway and right away were amazed at how beautiful and authentic Altamura is. There were no tourists, just local people out and about. There were lots of beautiful chapels and an amazing cathedral, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, built by Emperor Frederick II in 1232. Ornella told me about Altamura bread, so we found the oldest bakery in town, Forno Antica S. Caterina, and bought focaccia. It was yummy! We enjoyed a couple of hours in Altamura and then drove to the Bari airport for our flight to Rhodes.
