Monopoli

Legend has it that Minos founded this settlement, the Greek origins of which are confirmed by its name, meaning Single City. Its singularity is perhaps the legacy of an ancient history of which the town is fiercely proud.
 
In the light of some important discoveries made in the cave known as "Grotta della Mura", however, in which a
complete, 12,000 year-old skeleton of a child was found, archaeology would suggest that the origins of the town are Palaeolithic. Other digs in the old town bear witness to the presence of a Bronze Age village, Iron Age remains, walls from the classical era and remains of Mycenean ceramics.
 
The landscape is a fascinating mix of Mediterranean maquis and olive trees that are more than a hundred years old, and have the appearance of natural sculptures next to churches, settlements established amongst the rocks and fortified farmhouses.
 
With its multitude of Romanesque and Baroque churches, some with three naves, some with a single nave, some hidden underground, some reaching for the sky, Monopoli could be defined as the town of churches, because of the extraordinary variety of places of worship of different styles and eras. The most important of these is the majestic Baroque cathedral, built around the year 1000 on the remains of the Romanesque church, by Bishop Romualdo, and dedicated to the Madonna della Madia, the town's protector, who is celebrated on 16th December and 15th August with a traditional sea-borne ceremony, which re-enacts her landing. The church
contains precious paintings from the Venetian school, from 17th century Naples and 18th century Puglia, as well as Romanesque arches and capitals
originating from the primitive basilica, the remains of which can be seen in the museum next door, at the foot of the high bell-tower.
 
There are several beautifully crafted basilicas, including the Romanesque basilica of Santa Maria degli Amalfitani, with its underground crypt, San Leonardo, Santa Teresa, San Domenico, Purgatorio, S. Pietro e Paolo and others.
The town is also home to a wealth of monasteries and convents, including the fortified abbey of St. Stefano, dating back to the 11th century, which was a meeting place for Crusaders setting off for the Holy Land from the little port.
 
There are also many churches built into the rock - no less than 24 have been recorded over the entire territory, 22 of which contain frescoes. The fall of the Roman Empire prompted the population to take refuge in underground caves in order to escape from Barbarian invaders, and from here, they continued to produce olive oil, raise crops and livestock and dedicate
themselves to worship. In fact you can visit
enormous caves which have been converted into oil mills, dwellings, stables and
churches. The best known churches built into the rock include Madonna del Soccorso, Spirito Santo, Santa Maria Amalfitana, St. Andrea e Procopio, Masseria Santa Cecilia and Lamalunga.
 
Perimeter walls, watch-towers, embrasures, small churches, draw-bridges, small bell-towers, olive mills and store rooms are common features of the immense architectural, historical and cultural heritage of the fortified farmhouses in the territory, which were also designed to afford the greatest possible protection against enemies, following the fall of the Roman Empire.
The most famous of these include: Masseria Capitolo, Garrappa, Lamafico, Petrarolo, Due Torri, Conchia, Carrassa, Caramanna, Losciale, Spina Grande and Spina Piccola, and Trappetello.
The Abbey of St. Stefano, mentioned earlier, formed an integral part of the coastal look-out and defence system, along with the Castle of Carlo V, built during the Spanish occupation, with its fortified walls also dating back to the 16th century, on which stands a row of cannons from the Fortress of Gaeta, which was destroyed by the Piedmontese at the time of the unification of Italy.
 
The varied coastline sloping down to the Adriatic is generally low, and broken up by cliffs and wonderful coves, in which small tongues of golden sand form. Further south lies the "Capitolo", which is the beach resort area, with its long, sandy beaches and dunes, tourist accommodation and restaurants and a range of night-life.