In the Vulture

Melfi is a small town situated on a volcanic hill on the slopes of the Vulture, dominated by the massive bulk of the castle and the majestic complex of the Norman Cathedral. The Castle houses the important National Archaeological Museum of Melfi. Its collections gather prehistoric and archaeological materials, including the sarcophagus of Rapolla dating back to the 2nd century AD. A short distance from the Castle is the Cathedral, with its Baroque-style facade and its 1153 bell tower, square in plan and opened up by two orders of Romanesque mullioned windows with geometric decorations in dark lava and light stone.

Not far from Melfi is Ruvo del Monte, a friendly agricultural centre with a characteristic historic centre in which the Angevin Tower and the Abbey of Sant'Antonio stand out.