HISTORY: The area of today’s Monopoli was settled since the 6th century BC by the Messapians, who built here a fortified city. During the Middle Ages, the town experienced its maximum expansion, incorporating the nearby towns of Fasano, Locorotondo, Alberobello and Cisternino. Later, the city was disputed between the Byzantines and the Normans, with the climax being the battle of Monopoli, which took place in 1041.
In the second half of the 13th century, Monopoli passed under the domination of the Angevins, and later submitted to the Aragonese. At the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, the city was under the domination of Venice. Beginning with middle of the 17th century, the town followed the fate of the rest of the Southern Italy, with the domination of the Bourbons, and then with the annexation to the Kingdom of Italy, in 1860. Read More [...]
GEOGRAPHY: Today, Monopoli is a town of about 49,000 inhabitants, part of the Metropolitan City of Bari, in the Italian region of Apulia. The territory of the city is divided into units called contrade (districts), some of which are now included within the town. The contrade are characterized by the presence of ancient fortified farmhouses, rock churches and trulli (traditional Apulian stone huts with a conical roof).
The town is located about 9 kilometers southeast from Polignano a Mare, 37 kilometers northwest of Ostuni, 43 kilometers southeast of Bari, 62 kilometers north of Taranto, 68 kilometers northwest of Brindisi and about 106 kilometers northwest of Lecce.
TRANSPORT: The closest airport is Karol Wojtyła International Airport, located about 54 kilometers north, near Bari. From the airport, you can get to Monopoli by train, in two steps. First, from the airport to Bari Centrale, you can take one of the trains of the private company Ferrotramviaria. A trip from the airport to Bari takes between 15 and 20 minutes, and the ticket costs 5€. Then, from Bari Centrale to Monopoli, you can take a train operated by Trenitalia. The trip takes about 36 minutes and the ticket costs 3.2€.
LANDMARKS: The historical center of Monopoli is beautiful, and the best way to discover it is on foot. The most important landmarks are the Castle of Charles V, built at the beginning of the 16th century, the Old Port of Monopoli and the Basilica of the Madonna della Madia, or the Cathedral of Monopoli.
MORE INFO: Touristic Portal | Bari Airport | Car Hire | Train Timetables & Fares | Hotels in Monopoli | Tours & Activities in Monopoli
