An Ode To Monopoli

When Brian and I were laying out our travel itinerary, we had a tough time picking a home base along the Adriatic Coast between Bari and Lecce. We narrowed it down to three options: Polignano a Mare, Alberobello, or Monopoli; each came with great recommendations online. Among the three, Alberobello was the first to be ruled out because of its size and touristy characteristics. But perhaps more importantly, we wish to spend a few days on the coast. After all, we did promise our niece Mary a beach holiday. A stay on the coast seemed warranted and would be a welcomed break from bustling cities like Lecce or Matera. A small town like Polignano a Mare seems perfect.

But as I started researching the accommodation options at Polignano a Mare, I was greeted with sticker shock on both prices and availability. The nightly rate ran between €225-300 for a small two-bedroom apartment rental. The cost could easily be €500 a night for any ocean view. Since we would be staying for three nights, we settled on Monopoli because of its relatively cosmopolitan feel but still retaining its relaxed ambiance. Ultimately, this was among the best decisions we made on this trip. We love Monopoli so much that we consider it one of the best places for an Italian staycation.

Polignano a Mare

After an exhausting visit to Alberobello, I stopped at Polignano a Mare before checking into our apartment rental at Monopoli. Since the weather forecast for the next three days ranged from overcast to thunderstorms, I was eager to check out this fabled coastal town before the bad weather rolled in. Judging from internet searches, Polignano a Mare is perhaps the most famous seaside town in Puglia. If you googled “Puglia” or “Bari,” the first pictures would probably be that of Polignano a Mare. Without the town, it is the most touristy spot along Puglia’s coast.

Lama Monachile is the most famous beach in Puglia.

As soon as we arrived at the edge of the old town, we were greeted with a dramatic inlet with a pebble beach and dramatic cliffside houses to one side. The town beach, Lama Monachile, is among the most unique beaches in Italy and perhaps the most photographed piece of waterfront in Europe. The pebble beach only measures forty meters wide and is always packed. The water was so clear that we could see the ocean bottom from the side of the cliff. Because it is wedged between two stiff cliffs, much of the beach is often shaded from the intense sun of Puglia. While this may be a drawback for some, I think that makes this beach particularly attractive for me.

While the ambiance on Lama Monachile is decidedly relaxed on most days, it is also a haven for adrenaline junkies. Internationally, Polignano a Mare is best known to be the venue for the annual Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. For the event, diving platforms are set up along the cliff, measuring between 65 and 90 feet in height. While the cliff Polignano a Mare may not be the highest, it is certainly the most architecturally dramatic and picturesque place for such a highly publicized event.

For anyone who has never seen a picture of Polignano a Mare, the town is designed to impress. A series of belvederes were strategically placed for the best views of cliff-side architecture. Since these limestone cliffs are prone to erosion and collapse, I am surprised collapse incidents have not been a more commonplace occurrence. It reminds me of Civita di Bagnoregio in Tuscany, which is at risk of a total loss due to its geological peculiarity. As a homeowner, I wonder just how much home insurance costs for these dramatically-situated houses.

The old town Polignano a Mare is confined within its intact medieval fortification. As we entered its historic gate, we were immediately overwhelmed by the crush of humanities. Even compared to Matera or Rome, this place seemed incredibly congested. Every inch of the town’s real estate is converted to cater to the influx of tourists in the summer months. From high-end boutique shops to real estate offices, there is very little authenticity I could discern from my short visit here. Unfortunately, the town has succumbed to gentrification. Prices at bars or restaurants here are among the highest we encountered on this trip. No matter how good it is, paying €14 for a glass of Aperol Spritz was unreasonable if you ask me.

The daring urban landscape of Polignano a Mare is definitely unique.

One thing that delights visitors nowadays at Polignano a Mare is verses of poetry that are written on walls and steps. They are the work of Guido Lupori, a Bari man who moved here in the 1980s. He expressed his love of his new hometown by writing verses from his favorite poems around town. Written under the pseudonym "Guido il Flâneur,” Lupori took inspiration from a character by French poet Charles Baudelaire, whose joy in life is to wander the city’s streets and be excited by all the little details one would encounter. His works aim to bring young people closer to the beauty of poetry. Although his intention was good and admirable, it now becomes just an instrument of gentrification ironically. The poetic is now the best prop for a hipster’s Instagram posts.

There is definitely something errily beautiful about this place.

The gentrification here extends beyond cute cafes and expensive cocktails. As I explored the old town, we saw plenty of advertisements for modern condominiums plastering across the construction sites. Needless to say, I don’t think any locals would be buying up these fancy units. I have read that the entire town emptied out off-season. Though I could not dispute the beauty of this place, I am very glad that I picked Monopoli as our home base for the next three days.

Monopoli

The first thing that caught our attention about Monopoli was its name; it is perhaps the most memorable name among all the Italian towns you have never heard of. The exact entomology of Monopoli is not clear. But one clear thing is that the town has no relation to the Monopoly board game. Coming from Polignano a Mare, Monopoli felt like a thriving metropolis. Unlike its neighbors, Monopoli has a well-developed grid section just south of its old town. While it lacks the Italian charm that visitors would expect from Italy. But what it lacks in charm is more than made up by its urban vitalities. A testament to Monopoli’s thriving urbanity was that it took me half an hour to find an open parking spot.

Palazzo Martinelli-Meo Evoli is arguably the most beautiful building in town.

Lucky for us visitors, Monopoli’s old town is wonderfully intact. While much of the original fortification has been taken down, the outline of the medieval settlement is still clearly discernible. The rigid building city grid gives way to the charming narrow lanes. In no time, we arrived at Piazza G. Garibaldi, the charming main square of Old Monopoli. Although the square is bustling with cafes and gelato shops, it had none of the frantic energy of Polignano a Mare. Even without grand architecture or monuments, the piazza exudes a sense of grace and elegance. I struggled to figure out what made this place more magical than its famous neighbor.

Monopoli’s blue *gozzi* with a red accent has become a cultural symbol of Monopoli.

If you ask me whether there is a single attraction in Monopoli that is a must-see, I would have to say no. This proves to be a welcomed relief for an active sightseer like myself. The city is just big enough to get lost and compact enough not to feel obligated to make a list to see everything in a day. As we wandered through the main thoroughfare, occasional archways gave us glimpses of the shore. My favorite is a 15th-century gate that led us to the town’s historic harbor (Porto Vecchio). Ringed by a comfortable passageway, the harbor has the best architectural facades in town. In particular, Palazzo Martinelli-Meo Evoli’s Venetian Gothic facade seemed transplanted straight from Venice.

Unlike many other historic harbors, it is still a working fishing harbor. Small, blue-colored fishing boats, known as gozzi (or vozz), still dotted the waterfront. Typically around 12 to 15 feet in length, these vessels are ideal for navigating the shallow water around Monopoli. By the look of them, most were still in active use despite the arrival of the tourism trade. What makes them particularly unique is that they are still handmade by special artisans from local pine and oak these days. The haul planks are then waterproofed and caulked by hand with a coating of hot tar and pitch mixture. When local fisherman Ignazio Amodio retired from his career on the water, he channeled his passion for the sea into making miniature models of these colorful gozzi. Visitors could visit his workshop on Via Argento and pick up one of his creations as souvenirs.

Along the shore, a beautiful promenade offers a perfect place for the evening passeggiata. Along the way, there are remnants of the medieval fortification. The most prominent part of the city’s surviving defensive system would be the Castle of Charles V (Castello Carlo V). The pentagon-shaped fort is not particularly impressive compared to the castle of the same name in Lecce, but this fort has been beautifully refurbished into a free museum and cultural space. Even though we did not know much about the exhibit, the large collection of clay figurines was quite memorable.

On the southwestern wall of the castle is a sculptural relief dedicated to the heroism of Monopli’s fishermen. In August 1971, a Greek oil tanker turned ferry, Heleanna, sank 15 miles off the coast of Monopoli. Carrying roughly twice the maximum number of passengers, the ferry caught on fire, and a mass panic ensued. With insufficient lifeboats and life jackets on board, the passengers were mostly left to their own devices without much assistance from the crew. Heeding the Mayday calls, the fishermen of Monopoli rushed and jumped in their boats to launch one of the most successful civilian maritime rescue operations. Amazingly, out of 1174 passengers on board, only 24 people perished because of the heroism of Monopoli. Acknowledge their heroic deeds, the national government awarded Napoli the Silver Medal of Civic Merit, the highest civic honor of the Itlaian Republic.

The sculptural relief commemorates Monopoli’s heroism in the rescue of *Heleanna.*

Despite its rocky appearance, the shore of Monopoli is a very popular swimming spot in summer.

Most architecture within the old town is quite humble. Like many traditional Puglian towns, most buildings are whitewashed and well-kept. About a dozen churches of varying size and splendor are dotted across the neighborhood. Among them, my personal favorite has got to be the humble Chapel of Saint Vitus the Martyr. The dignified stone facade of the church has been eroded by centuries of salted marine air; it was as if the stone had melted away like a piece of ice. Although the chapel is closed to the general public, it is one of the most photographed churches in town.

A quaint seaside cafe with Monopoli’s main cathedral in the background.

Of course, Monopoli’s most important church is its great cathedral, the Basilica of the Madonna of Madia. Situated on the less-touristy side of the old town, the church would be almost invisible to most tourists if it were not for its massive six-tiered campanile. The church is nationally known as the home of a renowned icon, Madonna of the Raft. According to legend, Monopoli’s bishop ran out of quality construction materials ten years after undertaking the rebuilding of the cathedral. The priest appealed to the intercession of the Virgin Mary for help. On the night of 16 December 1117, Mary appeared in a parishioner's dream three times to announce her arrival at the city’s port. The ecstatic bishop gathered the citizens of Monopoli to gather by the port. As the legend goes, a barge carrying 31 massive timber logs appeared almost magically in the harbor. On the barge is also an icon of Madonna and Child, brought back to the cathedral and kept there ever since.

On the inside, the cathedral is typical of the region, and the daily masses appear well-attended. But by far, the most intriguing thing about the cathedral is the plaque on the outside. The workers discovered an ancient crypt under the church nave and confirmed the long-standing belief that this spot had been a burial ground before Roman times. Interestingly, there are plenty of early Christian rock cave churches under many of Monopoli’s churches for visitors in the know. Unfortunately, I only learned about the information just before our departure. Like most Italian towns, Monopoli holds many great treasures in its churches. In this part of Europe, popping into every other parish church was a great way to absorb a city's cultural identity.

My favorite part of Monopoli is the southeastern section of the old town, which remains largely residential and unspoiled by the arrival of tourism. This section of town manages to marry Bari's authenticity with Polignano a Mare's cleanliness. The narrow lanes of five-story apartments make it a beautiful urban jungle to get lost. Despite its high density, it is one of the most tidy places I have visited. No single piece of rubbish was in sight, and everything looked fresh without losing its authenticity. The brightly-painted doors, particularly turquoise-color, provide beautiful accents among Monopoli's beige and white walls.

During the hot summer months, the narrow streets of Monopoli provide a beautiful respite from the intense heat. Even though we had mostly overcast skies during much of our visit, this peaceful lane still provided a serene refuge from the hustle and bustle surrounding the main piazza. There is something just something very elegant about this place. I could appreciate why this town is so beloved by Italian visitors.

Dusk was definitely my favorite time of the day.

Since we did not experience the best weather during our visit, I found Monopoli particularly atmospheric and charming at dusk. More than any other city I knew, Monopoli takes on a different personality at night. Much of centro storico was buzzing with the intense energy of a big city but still managed to avoid the rowdiness from the college crowds. Thankfully, our apartment was on the busiest street, so we managed to enjoy small-town tranquility but still be in the middle of all the action. There was no shortage of great restaurants in Monopoli serving delicious seafood and Puglia specialties.

I absolutely love the relaxed ambiance of Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi.

While we only sample about half a dozen places in Monopoli, we could genuinely commend a few. Our Airbnb host recommended Gaia Osteria Popolare. The fine-dining restaurant specializes in regional cuisine with a modern twist. The dishes were generously portioned, and the services were cordial and relaxing. My personal favorite, however, would be Trattoria Il Brigante. Even though it is named a “trattoria,” it specializes in fresh seafood. Their octopus dish was particularly delectable. Although I wouldn’t say it is the best seafood restaurant we ever tried, it is one of the more memorable meals on this trip.

Porto Antico at night is beyond romantic.

Throughout centro storico, the city did a wonderful job in maintaining the historical ambiance. All the public street lights and light colors are standardized. As an architect, I think the overall effects on the town were stunning. The white-washed walls reflect the light beautifully. There are city corners that almost look like the surrealist painting by Belgian artist René Magritte. We convinced Mary to take a long stroll with us through these beautiful lanes. I could honestly say that Monopoli is even more beautiful at night. Given that we did not get the best weather during our visit here, the nighttime view of Monopolis just seemed perfect. Perhaps Monopoli would make a decent winter destination after all?

Even though we often got overcast weather, we got a lucky break one afternoon. Being the proper tour guide I was, I decided to squeeze in some beach time for Mary’s benefit. After our beach outing near Lecce a few days earlier, I had high hopes for our options around Monopoli. Like the entire coastline, there is a half-decent beach every few minutes. Figuring out the best beach was trickier than I thought. On one of the YouTube videos, I came across an interesting spot called Calette di Torre Cintola. Translated as “Cove of the Cintola Tower,” this rocky beach is the remnant of an ancient limestone quarry. The pyramid-shaped towers and the shallow pools form a complex series of private pools and inlets. The shallowness of the water and the artificial ledges all around us make it an ideal spot for lounging and picnicking. It is definitely unlike any other beach that any of us have ever seen.

Calette di Torre Cintola is definitely the most unique beach that either of us ever visited.

While not undiscovered, Calette di Torre Cintola offers a unique level of privacy. This beach is the most interesting beach we visited on this trip. There are more than a dozen near the central Monopoli for those interested in sandy beaches with lounge chairs and umbrellas. We picked a random beach, Lido Cala Paradiso, and it was decent but nothing extraordinary to write home about. I am just happy that I enjoyed the rocky beaches more, and there is no need to compete with the crowd for your own patch of sand.

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Polignano a Mare

Monopoli

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The Small But Mighty Dolomiti Lucane