The dolmen della Chianca is an imposing prehistoric megalithic monument of the Bronze Age, at Bisceglie. The name comes from the Bisceglie dialect word «chienghe», meaning a slab of stone or lava; in some texts and guides the monument is called the dolmen of Bisceglie.
What to see
It was discovered by the archaeologists Francesco Samarelli and Angelo Mosso on 6 August 1909, in the locality «la Chianca», a few kilometres from the Pulo of Molfetta and very close to a long, deep valley, the «lama di Santa Croce», rich in caves used by people in several phases. The first excavations were carried out by the discoverers themselves and continued by the archaeologist Michele Gervasio in the last months of 1910; when the dolmen was discovered, the local peasants had already removed everything, although some traces remained of the heaps of stones and earth that covered the structure.
In the chamber were found animal bones, fragments of small vases and some stone knives, dating from about 1200-1000 BC, six skeletons of adults and youths laid in disorder and two skeletons in a crouched position; in the dromos were found some blackish crockery, a bronze pendant and a jug. The finds were acquired by the archaeological museum of Bari, where they are kept. Since its discovery the dolmen has been the object of study by different peoples and cultures, who have often attributed to it symbolic meanings and values on the anthropological, cultural and economic plane. Since the summer of 2010 it has hosted the «Notte di poesia al dolmen», a poetry festival organised by the Bisceglie Pro Loco and directed by Maurizio Evangelista, which in 2012 hosted the poet and singer Roberto Vecchioni.
Visiting
In the past the dolmen could be visited after a short walk from the Sarni service areas of the A14 motorway, towards Bologna; today it is reached from the SP 85. The sources consulted give no opening hours or visiting arrangements: check them.
Our editors' tip
In the territory of Bisceglie are two other megalithic monuments of the same type: the dolmen of Albarosa and the dolmen of the masseria Frisari.
