This town stands 401 m. above sea level, on the west side of the Murge. In 1860 it was annexed to Italy. It is a peculiar settlement, consisting of tiny houses packed together, steep narrow streets, and small squares, dating back to the 8th century, when some monks persecuted by Emperor Leone II the Isaurico settled here, later followed by the surrounding rural populations. Apart from the inherent charm of this unique place, this part of the town has nearly 120 little rupestrian churches, some beautifully decorated with medieval frescoes. Thus today, some usually small companies, are present in the foodstuff, engineering, building materials and furniture sectors.
Public employment is important, while tourism too has begun to increase.