European Archaeology Days at the Ipogei Park

European Archaeology Days in Trinitapoli

Every year in mid-June, the Archaeological Park of the Ipogei in Trinitapoli participates in the European Archaeology Days (GEA), a continent-wide event that invites museums, archaeological sites, and cultural institutions to open the doors of the past to a wide audience. For the occasion, the park, supported by the Municipality of Trinitapoli, offers a calendar of afternoon openings, guided tours, and educational activities.

A unique Bronze Age site

The Ipogei Park is one of the most important prehistoric complexes in Italy. Spanning approximately seven hectares, it preserves about fifteen hypogeum structures carved into limestone, ranging from simple designs to monumental chambers like the Ipogeo dei Bronzi and the Ipogeo degli Avori. Created over three thousand years ago, these underground spaces were used for propitiatory rites linked to fertility and death, and later as collective burials. Each hypogeum has yielded about two hundred remains, laid in a fetal position with rich grave goods. Famous artifacts such as the Lady of the Ambers and the so-called Giant of Trinitapoli—a man about 1.85 meters tall who lived three millennia ago—originated here.

The program of the Days

During the European Archaeology Days, the park opens in the late afternoon, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, when the grazing light makes the descent into the hypogea even more evocative. Guided tours, available by reservation, accompany visitors along the same underground path taken three thousand years ago by those who celebrated the rites of life, death, and rebirth in these places.

• Afternoon and evening openings of the archaeological park
• Guided tours by reservation, led by specialized staff
• Educational workshops for children
• In-depth insights into artifacts and Bronze Age civilization

An experience for families

The Days are also designed for children and families. Saturday is dedicated to Archeo-Games, an educational workshop that combines history, archaeology, and creative activities to help young people discover the work of an archaeologist and the daily life of thousands of years ago in a fun way.

In the heart of Puglia

The Ipogei Park is located in the countryside of Trinitapoli, in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, in northern Puglia, a short distance from the salt pans and the coast of the Gulf of Manfredonia. Participating in the European Archaeology Days means not only visiting an exceptional site but also rediscovering the deep identity of a territory that has its roots in prehistory.