Minervino Murge: 5 things not to miss from the Balcony of Apulia

Minervino Murge is in Puglia (Italy) and it lies on two hills of the Alta Murgia, about 450 meters above sea level. Due to its geographical position it is called the “balcony of Puglia”. The view from Minervino is in fact very extensive, from one side it is possible to look out over the Murgian landscape and widen the view up to the Gargano promontory and the sea. On the other side, the panorama overlooks endless cultivated fields up to the nearby region of Basilicata, and to Mount Vulture, an extinct volcano that now hosts the Monticchio lakes and dense woods.
Here are the places from which to admire these views:

La Scesciola is the name of the oldest part of the historic center, characterized by its tangle of narrow streets, flights of stairs and alleys and the old white washed houses. Along the way you can get lost between views of the Murgia, tuff arches, ancient vineyards and, with a little luck, the sight of the lesser kestrel that glides over the hills.

If you like stairs then you just have to discover other characteristic districts, such as: Belvedere district, Zingari district, S. Arcangelo district.

It is located in a particularly beautiful position, at the foot of the town, severely set in stone and preserving the mixed signs of nature, history and faith.

The large karst cavity has been a place of worship for millennia, the neoclassical door leads to a long staircase that descends to a small temple with an altar dedicated to the archangel Michael.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is located at the gates of the Scesciola. It was built between 1500 and 1600 in the Apulian Romanesque style, with three naves and the Latin cross shape. It houses the “black crucifix”, a wooden crucifix still considered miraculous by many in Minervino.

The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sabato, protector of the town, is located 1 kilometer from the inhabited center, it is a place much loved by the people of Minervino. In the original cave it houses a fresco of the Virgin with the child, probably the work of the shepherds on their seasonal path.

The church of the Madonna della Croce, near the Grotta di San Michele, consists of a single nave and contains numerous popular frescoes representing images of the saints.

Minervino Murge is a town with a predominantly agricultural vocation: extra virgin olive oil, wine, almonds, turnip greens, cardoncelli mushrooms, lampagioni are typical of this land.

Among the dairy delights you can taste are the pecorino canestrato, the ricotta, the scamorze, while for meat lovers we suggest tasting our sausage, seasoned with fennel, lamb and the typical roulades or “braciole” of horse meat. Among the desserts, try the almond-based desserts, vincotto and even the typical Christmas ones.