Monopoli

Monopoli is a charming seaside town. The historic center is an attractive place due to the presence of many restaurants and trattorias where you can taste seafood dishes. Of course, there is no shortage of bars, artisan shops, or "food" typical of Southern Italy.

One of the ways you can visit Monopoli is to leave the charming harbor at any time of the day and enter the city for those coming from the sea, with a picturesque urban landscape, the original spirit of a city born on the water. In the bay of the old natural harbor, the "vozz" (gozzo), the typical local wooden boat, with its characteristic light blue and red colors, is still sheltered. Among the buildings to visit is the Palazzo Martinelli Meo-Evoli, built on 18th-century walls, with a beautiful loggia facing the sea, featuring eight neo-Gothic arches.

Between narrow streets paved with chianche stones, between arches and commotion, the sea breeze creeps in: scents that mingle with the aromas of freshly hung laundry or meatballs and stew that have cooked for hours, wafting through the typical green shutters, almost always open. These houses were once inhabited mainly by fishermen, whose children and grandchildren can still meet here and there, with the intention of mending fishing nets.

It's the captivating atmospheres of a still-living maritime culture that are especially revealed at sunset when the fishing fleet enters the harbor. Amid shouts and agitated movements, various scents and colors, a microcosm comes to life that holds the authentic values of a Mediterranean and Levantine tradition.