Situated just west of Venosa, excavations at Atella have revealed evidence of prehistoric elephant hunting; it is thought that a particular hunting technique involving bogging an elephant down in thick mud was used.Worth a visit are the Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo which has a cave church decorated with frescoes, and the Church of Our Lady of Laudata which is in the countryside. Legend has it that a farmer was cutting down a tree when the Madonna appeared in its branches and ordered him to build a church instead; the church still has a sacred tree outside it. Atella also has the advantage of being close to the Riserva Naturale Lago Piccolo di Monticchio which is home to a rare species of moth as well as containing Monte Vulture, an extinct volcano, and the two extraordinarily beautiful lakes of Monticchio.
Atella Basin
Near the town cemetery, a sediment of nature with a significant link to the remains of prehistoric ancient elephants.