Bari province: 3 unmissable stops

Mola di Bari - 25k ca inhabitants, just 20km South from Bari, is a town famous for its historical shipping and for the beautiful Angievin Castle, a sign of the town’s rebuilding wanted by king Charles of Anjou in 1277. The castle goes with the gaze all along the Lungomare Dalmazia, recently renovated: a fancy walking area for the tourists coming from the North of the region, especially in the summer nights.

Mola is also rich of architectonical jewels, like the Holy Mother Church (Chiesa Matrice, XIIIth century), dedicated to St. Nicholas, Mary Magdalene Church (Chiesa della Madonna Addolorata, 1630) that treasures“Our Lady of Sorrows” statue, patron saint of Mola, and the “Madonna di Loreto” Church (Chiesa di Loreto, 1587). Tourists can also admire civilian buildings like Niccolò van Westerhout Theatre and Roberti Palace (Palazzo Roberti), also known as ‘100 rooms Palace”. A nice peculiarity of Mola is the XX September Square, a circular square, one of the few in Italy, embellish with a monumental fountain in the middle. 

Heading further South - we recommend to take the alternative road which goes parallel to the main one and leads to the typical Apulian country landscape: olive trees, red soil and blue sea. South of Cozze (a little village of Mola district), it is imperative to visit San Vito, a very little town dominated by the namesake Abbey, almost a prelude to the beauties of Polignano a Mare. 

Polignano, the town which gave birth to the very famous Italian singer Domenico Modugno – VOLARE - still shows the ancient dominations of Arabics, Byzantines, Normans and Spanish. The old town is a maze of alleys where the next photo spot is always around the corner. Polignano is also famous for its coastal fringe area, opening to the “most-Instagrammed” Lama Monachile, a beach squeezed in between white steep rocks and which for the last few years has been hosting the famous Red Bull Cliff Diving competition.

The romantic Polignano gives way to Monopoli, one of the hottest apulian touristic cities; how can you resist to hidden, wonderful gutters, where the crystal clear sea invites to an unscheduled plunge? What about of walking throu the white alleys, made of white stones “chianche”, full of restaurants, pubs and handcraft shops? Already known in the Middle Age, as a very important crossroad for Oriental trade and cultures during the Crusades, Monopoli can boast of countless churches and of the Charles V Castle, built during the Spanish domination. Outside the city, St Stephen’s Castle, once a fortress of the town’s defense during the Middle Age, nowadays is a spectacular wedding location, very required by U.S. wedding planners.