East of Bari

<< Apulia

The area east of Bari hosts various popular seaside resorts located on the beautiful coast of the Adriatic Sea. This region also features some historic towns with ancient landmarks, and a few natural wonders located both on the coast and inland.

Polignano a Mare

Polignano a Mare is a seaside resort located along the coast of the Adriatic Sea east of Bari. Probably founded as a Greek colony, it flourished under the Romans, and remained an important port and commercial center throughout its history. The town is now known for its beautiful seaside cliffs and the white houses of its old town.

✪ Cliffs of Polignano a Mare

The rugged coast of Polignano a Mare is characterized by a series of cliffs (Scogliera di Polignano a Mare). The old town of Polignano a Mare is located along the cliffs, and features the panoramic point of Terrazza Santo Stefano. Just west of the old town is the tiny rocky beach of Lama Monachile, located in an opening among the tall cliffs. Other small beaches and some seaside caves are also located along the coast. On the top of the cliff west of Lama Monachile is another panoramic terrace with a Monument to Domenico Modugno, a local singer known for the global hit song Nel blu, dipinto di blu, released in 1958.

Pino Pascali Museum of Contemporary Art

The Pino Pascali Museum of Contemporary Art (Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Pino Pascali) is a museum dedicated to 20th-century artist Pino Pascali. The museum houses numerous works by the artist, who was one of the most prominent figures of the Arte Povera movement in the 1960s.

Monopoli

Monopoli is a town in the Metropolitan City of Bari, located along the coast just east of Polignano a Mare. Founded by the Messapians around the 5th century BCE, Monopoli was later a Roman town, and rose to prominence in the Middle Ages as one of the richest ports in the region. The town was ruled by various local powers, and mostly followed the history of the rest of Apulia. Monopoli is to this day an important port and also a seaside resort.

Monopoli Castle

Also known as: Charles V Castle (Castello Carlo V)

The Monopoli Castle is a 16th-century fort located along the coast next to the old town of Monopoli. The castle was built on top of a medieval church and some even older structures. The fort is still well preserved, and after being used as a prison in the 19th and 20th century, now it hosts temporary exhibitions. The castle also houses various ancient weapons.

Monopoli Cathedral

Also known as: Basilica Cathedral of Maria Santissima della Madia (Basilica Cattedrale di Maria Santissima della Madia)

The Monopoli Cathedral (Duomo di Monopoli) is the most important church in the city, located at the southern edge of the old town of Monopoli. This was originally the site of a Roman temple, and later a Romanesque church built in the 12th century. The church was entirely rebuilt in Baroque style during the 18th century. Inside, the cathedral is richly decorated, and houses several artworks, including paintings by Palma il Giovane. Underneath the cathedral is an ancient crypt that was once part of the Romanesque church and now serves as a museum.

Conversano

Conversano is a town located southwest of Polignano a Mare in the Metropolitan City of Bari. Founded as Norba in the Iron Age, it became a relevant trade center during the age of the Greek colonization and under the Romans. In the Late Middle Ages, Conversano was the capital of a large county, and was ruled for centuries by the Acquaviva family. The town is now known for the historic attractions in its old town.

Conversano Castle

The Conversano Castle was originally built by the Normans in the 11th century, and was later expanded and transformed into the luxurious residence of the Acquaviva family, who ruled over the town. The castle now houses the Paolo Finoglio Art Gallery (Pinacoteca Paolo Finoglio), which houses hundred of paintings once part of the collection of the Acquaviva family.

Conversano Cathedral

Also known as: Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Basilica Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)

The Conversano Cathedral (Cattedrale di Conversano) is the main church in the city, located next to the Conversano Castle. Built starting in the 11th century in Romanesque style, the church was reworked and expanded a few times. The building features a large rose window on its facade, while inside it houses some artworks.

Monastery of San Benedetto

The Monastery of San Benedetto is a religious complex founded in the Middle Ages and reworked multiple times. The complex features a large church and a medieval cloister, and now houses the Civic Archaeological Museum of Conversano (Museo Civico Archeologico di Conversano), which hosts numerous ancient archaeological findings unearthed around the town.

Castellana Grotte

Castellana Grotte is a town located south of Conversano, in the Metropolitan City of Bari. The town emerged in the Middle Ages, and became a tourist destination in the 20th century after the discovery of a large cave system near the city.

✪ Castellana Caves

The Castellana Caves (Grotte di Castellana) are a large cave system located just outside Castellana Grotte. The system features various openings, and a 60-meter-long vertical tunnel. The main cave of the system, called Grave, is a huge natural pantheon, with an opening on the surface that allows sunlight to enter the caves. The system also features countless peculiar rock formations, stalactites, and stalagmites, and houses some endemic species. Outside the caves is the Franco Anelli Speleological Museum (Museo Speleologico Franco Anelli), which showcases the history and geology of the Castellana Caves.