To be completed post-match on Friday
Altamura literally translates as per the title as high wall. I can certainly testify that the notion certainly applies to the perimeter around the stadium. Last year, having seen the ground was minutes from the railway station, en route back to Bari from Matera, I nipped along for a peek. Alas, the team were training, and the gates were closed, leaving nothing be mighty high walls to prevent any worthy picture. Indeed, the view from the train had been better.
I doubt Altamura, though, got its name from the stadio high walls! Indeed, investigation has revealed that many a myth surrounds this place. Atlilia was one name, allegedly given to it from Altier, a fugitive from Turkish Troy, who came this way upon his original home being sacked by the Greeks and founded the city. It means “the other Troy”. Another myth is that the Queen of the Myrmidons, whoever they were, named it Althea.
Debated raged, many a toga was thrown around in riven angst on the subject, only for the two tales being thrown out as late as 1880 as piffle. There was no factual evidence, and therefore considered unreliable truth, hence my use of the word myth.
Largely feudal families have governed Altamura, but in 1748, Charles VII of Napoli had a university built to give great value to the city. However, the locals, inspired by the values of the French Revolution, had their own Altamuran Revolution in 1799. Whether that was more akin to the Batley’s Lady’s Society recreating the Battle of Waterloo in a field with their handbags remains in the myth category!
With a population of just over 70,000, Altamura is no small place, sitting on the Murge plateau, on the extreme western fringes of Puglia. It is the perfect size for a well run football club, which as well shall discover, they are. The city is famous for its bread, Pane di Altamura strangely enough, a curious shaped baked dough, like a spud that has grown to quite a size! The Altamuran Man is a thing, too. Aged at 130,000 years old, he was found calcified in limestone cave in 1993 at the Grotta di Lanalunga. If only he could talk, he could settle the ‘other Troy’ debate.
Having briefly nipped along to encounter some high walls just over a year ago, I never envisaged that I would be back so soon to breach said high perimeter and watch a game.
The trouble with rail travel in this Western corner of Puglia, as you edge into Basilicata or Lucania, if you prefer, is the private operator Ferrovie Appulo Lucane. They run the line between Bari and Matera, with Altamura nearer the latter only from a Monday to Saturday. It is quite astonishing when you consider that Matera, one of the oldest cities in Europe, if not the world, sits on many a person’s ‘must see’ roster, and courtesy of a semi recent James Bond movies opening sequence has seen tourist numbers rise expedentially.
The vagaries of Italian buses are even more depressing than the rapidly declining rail services. However, combine the two with a replacement bus and run. Just keep running. They always seem a fiasco. Football in the lower leagues gets largely played on a Sunday, so Matera and Gravina are out for now, but Serie C loves and all weekend schedule, and a Friday night, under the lights at Altamura, count me in.
The only caveat to the plan was a need to stay over, as a post 22,30 finish was after the last train back to Bari. All seemed a perfectly fine compromise given a chance of a game here doesn’t come along too often. It would give me a chance to have a poke around Altamura città and see if any other notes of interest might be applied to my story.
The club carries a rather odd opening word, Team Altamura. Stating the obvious, perhaps. This additional title came around only in 2015 when the team arrived in Serie D, one level below where they are now. Indeed, they are a mere pup of a club, having started out in 2003 as Real Altamura. They nibbled their way through the Puglian regional setup, and when they reached the national level, Real became Team. Prior to 2003, a team did exist in the city, US Altamura, and they reached Serie C themselves before beginning to struggle, hence the rise of the new club.
The Comunale Tonino D’Angelo only has a capacity of 3,000, with the majority housed in the rather fine main stand. Opposite is an area for visiting fans, but their is nothing behind either goal. Given the population, I would have expected this capacity to be somewhat under togged. However, the club might be a new kid on the block, but they are old school when it comes to tickets. There is no online portal, only production of a proper ticket at the stadium box office, or a solitary retailer by the railway station.
Team Altamura are enjoying the best years of their young life, with an attempt to be a staple of the third tier, largely successful. This season, while it has started more slowly than previously, they remain competitive and will especially be relishing one particular derby, amid a veritable pot pourri of Puglian clashes. Foggia, Audace Cerignola, and Barletta from further north, them Monopoli and Casarano from the south. But the one that will stand out and become the hottest ticket of the season will be when Bari comes to town.
It isn’t really a rivalry that has ever existed. If they have ever played, it was a cup match. They have never been in the same league before. It won’t stop the fans, the players, and the club from raising their game, especially as Bari are perceived as the biggest club in the region. Obviously Lecce are presently the kingpins, and have been for a while, but Bari is a huge city, and they really should, as a football club, be greater than the sum of the parts on display presently.
I saw Altamura (no one really uses Team) at Monopoli last term. It was a highly entertaining draw. This Friday night clash was bringing the big boys from over the Basilicata border to town, as league leaders no less in Potenza. They have started 2026/27 in brilliant fashion and already have put daylight between them as more traditional clubs like the aforementioned Bari and Foggia, but also Salernitana and Catania.
Potenza’s away form has been especially impressive, so an away win was anticipated rather than expected pre-match as they headed in ‘high wall’ territory looking to keep things going and break that glass ceiling back into Serie B, where they enjoyed five consecutive seasons in the mid 60’s, but haven’t been near since.
