Giornata Mondiale del Pane (World Bread Day)

To mark World Bread Day, Altamura hosts a week of cultural events organized by the Consortium for the Protection and Valorization of Pane di Altamura DOP to celebrate the town's iconic regional specialty. Organized under the patronage of local and national institutions alongside the support of the Diocese, the festival presents an engaging educational program ranging from a conference on the 'PDO economy' to hands-on workshops and photography exhibitions at IP 'De Nora-Lorusso'. The schedule features the screening of the short documentary 'Dalla terra al forno' (From Earth to Oven), art catalog presentations, and guided tours of the Museo Etnografico dell'Alta Murgia and the Museo del Pane Vito Forte. Highlights include the traditional 'Procession of Wheat, Flour, and Bread' and the musical performance 'La Cattedrale del Pane', held inside the stunning Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. Festivities also bring city spaces to life with chess tournaments at the Conservatorio Santa Croce, culminating in 'La scacchiera dell'Imperatore', a fascinating historical reenactment featuring a living chess game in medieval attire staged in Piazza Repubblica to conclude the celebrations.