The Altopiano delle Murge ( Italian for ' plateau of the Murge') is a karst topographic plateau of rectangular shape in southern Italy. Most of it lies within Puglia and corresponds with the sub-region known as Murgia or Le Murge. The plateau lies mainly in the Metropolitan City of Bari and the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani , but extends into the provinces of Brindisi and Taranto to the south, and into Matera in Basilicata to the west. The name is believed to originate from the Latin : murex , meaning 'sharp stone'.
12-722: The Murge plateau covers a surface of some 4,000 km², bordered by the Ofanto river and the Tavoliere delle Puglie to the north, the Adriatic Sea to the northeast, and by the Messapic depression, which separates it from the Salento peninsula, to the south. It is usually divided into Alta Murgia (High Murgia), the highest area, with poorer vegetation, and Bassa Murgia (Lower Murgia), with more fertile land, extensively planted with olive -trees for
24-478: A region sometimes called "the feudal South". Present-day economic activities include marble quarries, and the production of olives, wine, almonds, cherries, and mulberries. The animals grazed include sheep, goats, domestic pigs, and cattle. A local breed of horse, known as Murgese , has been bred here since the Middle Ages. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the breed was ridden by Italian knights. In later centuries,
36-413: A right tributary of the river. At the end of its journey to the sea, the river ends in a delta and an estuary. The River Ofanto can have a torrential flow at times, with major floods along its course in the autumn and winter, thanks to heavy rainfall, but in the summer its flow can be remarkably slight. Despite its considerable length and the extent of its basin, the average flow of water at the river mouth
48-514: Is a province in the Apulia region of Italy . The establishment of the province took effect in June 2009, and Andria was appointed as its seat of government on 21 May 2010. It was created from 10 comuni ( sg. : comune ), which were formerly in the provinces of Bari and Foggia , taking its name from the three cities which share the new province's administrative functions. The total population of
60-634: Is fairly low, less than 15 cubic metres per second (530 cu ft/s). This Apulia location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Basilicata location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Campanian location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in Italy is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani The province of Barletta-Andria-Trani ( Italian : provincia di Barletta-Andria-Trani )
72-633: Is known locally as the 'Pulo' and lies south-west of the town, near the Adriatic coast, taking the form of an oval-shaped depression with a depth of some thirty metres. Near Castellana Grotte are the Castellana Caves , the most important in the Puglia region. The highest point of the plateau is called Monte Caccia, at 679 m. The climate is cold in winter, with average temperatures in the 1-6 °C range. In summer, they rise up to 30 °C. Rain, unlike in
84-459: The Murgese almost died out, but was revived in the 1920s. 40°58′34″N 16°24′22″E / 40.97611°N 16.40611°E / 40.97611; 16.40611 Ofanto The Ofanto ( Italian pronunciation: [ˈɔːfanto] ), known in ancient times as Aufidus or Canna , is a 134 or 170 km (83 or 110 mi, depending on the sources) river in southern Italy that flows through
96-555: The Olivento, flows into it in this area. The river curves northeast and then forms the border between the province of Foggia and the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani . The river flows near Posta Piana, Canosa di Puglia , San Ferdinando di Puglia , and Cannae before entering the Gulf of Manfredonia between Margherita di Savoia and Barletta . The Locone enters the Ofanto south of Cerignola as
108-479: The arid Salento nearby, has an annual average of ca. 950 mm. Historically, the Murge have been the seat of transhumance practice in animal husbandry, since at least the first millennium BC, with cattle being moved to Abruzzo in summer, and southwards during winter. Until the 19th century, agriculture was characterized by large latifundia , owned by a few landowners, and the relative lack of water, forming part of
120-486: The production of olives. The plateau is geologically homogeneous to a great extent, and lies mostly on the limestone formations of Calcare di Ban and Calcare di Altamura, with terra rossa deposits present in the sequence. The rocks are mostly Cretacic limestone, so that karst landscapes prevail in the area, with doline fields, some large dolines, sinkholes , and caves. The largest dolines are near Altamura , Gravina , and Molfetta . The large karstic doline of Molfetta
132-408: The province of Avellino and the province of Potenza except for a small extension of the province of Avellino near Calitri . The Atella flows into the Ofanto near this point as a right tributary of the river. The river curves north and flows near Monteverde before forming the border between the province of Foggia and the province of Potenza. It then curves east for a distance and a right tributary,
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#1732844747162144-470: The regions of Campania , Basilicata , and Apulia , into the Gulf of Manfredonia near Barletta . The river's source is on the Irpinia Plateau, at 715 metres (2,346 ft) above sea level, near Nusco and Torella dei Lombardi , in the province of Avellino . From there it runs southeast near Lioni before flowing into Lago di Conza , an artificial lake . The river then forms the border between
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