Murge

The Altopiano delle Murge (Italian for "plateau of the Murge") is a karst topographic plateau of rectangular shape in southern Italy. Most of it lies within Puglia and corresponds with the sub-region known as Murgia or Le Murge. The plateau lies mainly in the Metropolitan City of Bari and the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, but extends into the provinces of Brindisi and Taranto to the south; it also extends westward into the province of Matera in Basilicata. The name stems from the Latin murex, meaning "sharp stone".

The Murge plateau covers a surface of c. 4,000 km², bordered by the Ofanto river and the Tavoliere delle Puglie on the north, the Adriatic Sea on the northeast, and by the Messapic depression, which separates it from the Salento peninsula, on the south. It is usually divided into Alta Murgia (High Murgia), the highest area, with poorer vegetation, and Bassa Murgia (Lower Murgia), with more fertile land, prevalently cultivated with olives.

The highest elevation of the plateau is the Monte Caccia, at 679 m. The rocks are mostly composed of Cretacic limestone, so that karst landscapes prevail in the area, with doline fields, some large dolines, sinkholes, and caves. The largest dolines may be found near Altamura, Gravina and Molfetta. Near Castellana the most important show cave of Apulia region is located.

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