Vulture

The Vulture is an extinct volcano since prehistoric, consisting of a large outer circle, largely destroyed due west, in whose center rises a cone containing a smaller crater distoma, now occupied by the two lakes Monticchio. The outer circle is elevated with two peaks, the vulture itself to the Pizzuto Melfi, 1326 meters, and Pizzuto of San Michele or just San Michele, 1262 meters.

The view of the mountain changes significantly, as the observation point changes: from Tavoliere and Murge it draws the eye to its characteristic conical shape and height. Observed closely by Melfi, or Rionero and Atella, it is very impressive.

The area of Vulture under the volcanic material is very fertile. It has always been a particular interest anthropo-geographic: largely populated in pre-Roman age, it flourished in the cities of Venus, Acheruntia, Bantia, later became one of the first centers of the Norman conquest and had an important position at the time of the Swabians, when there many castles were built (most important among all those Lagopesole and Melfi).