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We're All About Italy

Forno Antico Santa Chiara: More than Just a Bread Bakery

10/9/2015

4 Comments

 
Picture
PictureA bread's-eye view of Vito at the Forno
You will find Antico Forno Santa Chiara in the southern region of Puglia behind the walls of Altamura, where their world famous Altamura bread is made. In fact, Altamura bread can only be made in Altamura... it has D.O.P. designation and is under strict standards to be able to use the name "Altamura" bread.

Vito Macella
, is the owner, baker and a bit of pirate and showman. He loves to show off his historic forno (oven) that dates from 1423. His is one of of the first public ovens in Altamura, used for cooking meats, biscuits, pretzels and other Pugliese baked specialties, and of course, the famous Altamura Bread. A short walk inside the walls of the historic center and you'll come to the Forno. You can park your car on the Corso Vittorio Emanuale II just outside of the old arched porto where Via Madonna dei Martiri begins. Take a stroll three intersections until Via Corte D'Appello and then you'll see tiny Via Luca Martucci on your left. It's really like a very small piazza with the Forno Antico at the back left corner. You'll probably see a large round table outside with an umbrella over it. There might be people sitting, chatting and eating. Sit with them and join in.

When Vito comes out to greet you, tell him you would like u
na degustazione (a tasting) of whatever he feels like putting in front of you. Depending on what he baked that day, and what other local ingredients he had to create with, he might bring you a plate of antipasto, focaccia, squares of pizza, olives, tomatoes, tiny bocconcin (mozzarella balls), sliced caciocavallo cheese, prosciutto, lardo, or carpaccio--paper thin slices of raw veal marinated in red wine. Oh, of course, he'll always have some of his Altamura Bread for you to taste. We consider unexpected lunch we had at the Forno as one of the best we ate in all of Italy. 

Picture
In this unassuming little piazza, you'll find the door in the back corner for the Forno
Inside the doors of the Forno you can see Vito at work at his rustic oven. The stacks of wood are what he uses--early each morning--to fire up this massive cavern.  It takes lots of hard work and many hours to get the mass of stone inside the oven  up to temperature. The bread of Altamura is made according to traditional methods and with high quality, local ingredients, the two most important (as Vito told me) being the water and the local Durham flour. Altamura bread was the the first product in Europe to bear the D.O.P. logo in the category "Bakery and baked goods". No wonder--it's such a special bread. The loaves are quite large with a shape like a floppy chef's hat or a sort of fat beret. It is airy and full of bubbles inside with a dark brown crust nearly 1/4 inch thick. Unlike Tuscan bread, they use salt in Altamura Bread, so there's loads of flavor. One more thing: The bread can stay fresh for weeks... some say for a month! A loaf we bought Vito's bakery lasted up for several days all the way back to Rome.
Picture
But again, there's more than just the bread to experience here. Vito offers the biggest dose of Southern Italian hospitality that anyone can find. He is charming, roguish, funny and inviting. You'll meet his kids and sit with strangers talking many languages, but somehow you will all be friends in the end. By all means, buy some bread and other treats here, but just soak in the atmosphere, the personalities and the wine.

Don't pass by Altamura. You won't be disappointed.

--Jerry Finzi

If you enjoyed this post, please, please, please, tell all your friends about us. Grazie.
4 Comments
Harriet Riley
5/5/2018 04:19:36 pm

Thank you for the information about the Altamura bakery. I appreciated the pictures, and the information for finding this wonderful spot. We are going in June!

Reply
Jerry Finzi
5/5/2018 07:38:29 pm

Harriet,

June! I hope you enjoy the heat. (s) Altamura is a great town in the Murgia... one of the "white" cities of Puglia. If you have extra time (after a long lunch at Vito's Forno), take a stroll a few blocks toward the center of the historic section and visit the Piazza Duomo... a very pretty cathedral and beautiful piazza. Perhaps a stroll to look at the shops on Corso Federico II di Svevia. When you're in the area, you might want to check out the Altamura Man (prehistoric skeletal remains) ... Strada provinciale 157 Altamura-Quasano km 19 70022 Altamura +393396144164. And north of town, there's the huge (1/2 mile across) Pulo d'Altamura sinkhole. An ancient sinkhole that looks like a meteor crater. And if you're into cycling, the surrounding countryside has many beautiful biking tours. ... Oh, and remember, but a loaf or two of the Pane Altamura--it will last a week or two and still be great with butter, jam or honey. Have a great trip!

Reply
Cathy
7/16/2018 07:45:10 pm

Thank you for this article! Will be in Altamura in Oct and plan on going here!

Reply
Jerry Finzi
7/19/2018 11:55:17 am

Cathy,

You're going to LOVE that bread. Get some local, thick-as-jam millefiore honey to spread on it. And buy a couple of loaves--it lasts for weeks.

And don't forget to explore the countryside--called the Murgia. The little Altamura Man museum is worth a stop--the remains of a Neanderthal embedded in a crystallized cave. And Il Pulo--the Altamura sinkhole is a must-see. Half mile across and 500 feet thick with Neolithic caves along the rim.

Be sure to tell us all about your trip when you get back--either here or on our Facebook page.

Ciao e buon viaggio!

--Jerry

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