This fishing port perched on the Adriatic in the heel of the Italian boot and prosperous under the Venetian and Spanish occupations, has many fine remains from the past. With its neighbours Bari and Ostuni, the town lights up the whole region of Puglia.

Monopoli, in the southernmost part of Italy, overlooks the sea and has preserved the character of its heyday. From the end of the 15thCentury to the beginning of the 18th, the town was an active port, exporting oil, wine and almonds, the produce of its hinterland. Hidden behind its more recent attractions as a seaside resort, with beaches as far as the eye can see, Monopoli boasts remains which bear witness to its past glories. Within the remains of the perimeter wall, there is the Charles V castle, former fortress of Henry IV; the Baroque Cathedral; the Palmieri Palazzo (C18th); the Santo Stefano Abbey… There are also some mansions with arcades and balconies which bear witness to Venetian influence. Three interesting museums offer a pleasant way to end your tour of the town. When you leave Monopoli to go inland, you can see the influence of the past in the fortified farms and the aristocratic villas scattered through the countryside. However the region has further treasures still. Some kilometres to the south of Monopoli there is the town of Ostuni. The town is known as the ‘White City’ because of the whiteness of the façades, and dominates the Adriatic from the heights of its three hills. It is home to a maze of tiny streets with dozens of artisans and a speciality: the manufacture of terracotta whistles! To the north of Monopoli, Bari with 600,000 inhabitants is a ‘capital’ port, and the main city in Puglia. With its seafront and its old city (Barivecchia), the town has an important religious, military, commercial (Murattiano quarter), cultural (many theatres) heritage and the delightful nonchalance of a major Mediterranean city.