The city of SIDION, now Gravina in Puglia, was born thanks to the tuff, a name associated with calcareous stone called CARPARO, resulting from the cementation of limestone sediment, generally present in marine environments. Calcarenite of sedimentary origin is of use in Puglia and is generally defined as tuff. The first settlements in the karstic caverns date back to the 6th century BC, found in caves naturally excavated in the tuff and particularly present on the two sides of the gravine stream, which flows within a cut of the karst rock made of water. This place you are now, was supposedly a cave inhabited in the various epochs to this day. In this subterranean, down the stairs to the left, the hand-cut cuttings, with hammer, chisel and chisel are necessary for the production of tuff blocks useful for the elevation of the first houses built on these caves. Interesting is also the discovery of excavations with conical geometry that identify the so-called "FOGGIANE" or "NEVAIE" which are here highlighted descending to the right of the staircase with purple-purple painting on the tuff. The Foggians were silos destined for the preservation of legumes and cereals, they had a conical shape with the wider base at the base and the narrow part of the head that spilled over the basolato of the old town. The Nevaie, still of the conical type, were instead filled with layers of snow and straw to produce ice-stocks sold in the summer. Even today the extraction of tuff is a flourishing activity that is also directed towards the artisan market as shown by this exhibition of works made in CARPARO. The excavations were linked to each other until real underground routes, often secret, were used, both for exchange and for escape. In the last three minutes, we invite you to look over the grate, in front of the stairs, where there is a part of the path that leads to large foggians, wineries and sub-chansons to demonstrate what was said, places where wine was kept VERDECA and seasoned GRAVINA PALLONE cheese both typical gravines products.
It is said that in so many medieval cities, such as Gravina in Puglia, the so-called "Jus primae noctis" came to pass, according to which the new bride had to give to the prince, duke or baron of the town for a whole night and it is assumed that these tunnels are also used for this purpose. Moreover, these tunnels were used when the city, attacked by the invaders, after the three bitons made with their hands and then with the Cola Cola, having closed the access doors, allowed the peasants and shepherds to remain outside the wall, in the grottoes of gravina to reach the city. These subterranean areas were reopened by us in 1997 when these premises were restored, after 20 years of closure for security reasons following an extraordinary flood of the historic center. They say that a tunnel in particular linked the palaces of the bishop's office to those of the prince, which was probably the case. This route has been interrupted right in front of our headquarters since September 1943 when, during World War II, Gravina fell the only bomb that collapsed the palace and its tunnel, a few tens of meters from churches and palaces of the diocese . On that occasion also died the baker who came by bicycle right in this room that was access to the extraordinary oven of this "Amato" palace, with the "bread" table on the shoulder, so used to carry bread made in house at the neighborhood bakery. This same canal would in turn be connected with an underground tunnel that carried the prince from the historic center into the walls to the second castle of Federico, on the nearby colina east of the city. In these places, dry enough for the perspiration of the same tuff, are housed the works of renowned local artists who have come to know thanks to the artistic ability to process tuff. Other material used in the city is the terracotta with which we produce the famous Cola Cola proposed by us in different shapes and sizes. Thank you for your attention and we invite you to appreciate our typical products and to enjoy a tour in the city of Gravina in Puglia.
