Monopoli’s ancient origins have all but been deleted by centuries of rebuilding following invasions and sieges, the first of which was the destruction of the Roman settlement in 545. In the Middle Ages, the city was under Byzantine, then Norman rule, eras in which Monopoli enjoyed a major commercial importance linked to its fishing industry, still a major element of the local economy. In 1456, the city was conquered by Venice then by the spanish in the 16th century. The bastions that encircle the city are a reminder of Monopoli’s military role during the centuries in which the Ottomans sought control of the Mediterranean.

 

The historical center lays within a city wall circuit positioned on the Adriatic Sea. While many of the religious and civic buildings originally date to the middle ages, their facades and often internal decoration are the product of 17th and 18th century Baroque re-workings. The Cathedral, originally built in the Norman age, was totally rebuilt in the 18th century. Remaining of the medieval era are an icon of the Madonna della Madia, reputedly arriving in response to the townspeople’s prayers for help in building the church. The first chapel on the right displays the roofing materials miraculously found in the port in the 12th century, the last materials needed to complete the church. The Castle, built in the 1550s, is a polygonal structure overlooking the port and its small fishing boats and enormous yachts.