The cradle of the I Parieti project is the Murge, an area of rare scenic beauty that can fully be defined as the backbone of Puglia. It is a karst plateau of tectonic origin with a height varying between 400 andd the 680 meters above sea level, which starts from the Ofanto plain and extends diagonally up to that of Brindisi, with the "saddle" of Gioia del Colle in the centre, a large depression which descends to around 350 meters above sea level. and represents the transition between the Alta Murgia and the Murgia dei Trulli. The landscape is predominantly hilly with the natural and anthropic signs of a centuries-old balance between the environment and the historically prevalent activities here, such as sheep farming and agriculture.
In particular, in the area around Gioia the Murge (from the Latin Murex, sharp rock) present slight undulations on which rocky prominences and "pauses" of red earth alternate - a singular combination of calcareous earth, clay and a portion of iron resulting from karst - particularly favourable, together with the presence of surface water of a sub-karst nature, for a surprisingly rich biodiversity. It is here that patches of fragni and downy oaks and a versatility of cultivation (cereals, fodder, orchards, vineyards and olive groves) have given rise, over the centuries, to a significant economy and a strong characterization of the landscape.
The Contrada Montursi, where our company is based, falls in the area immediately outside the Alta Murgia National Park; it is 5 km from the route from the Appia Antica, 10 from the Gravine di Laterza and 20 from Matera.
