Molfetta, Medieval coastal city in Puglia, Italy
Description
Molfetta is a coastal town in the Metropolitan City of Bari in Puglia, southern Italy, that stretches along the Adriatic Sea and includes a working fishing harbor with traditional boats. Narrow lanes paved with pale stone lead uphill from the water through the old center, where two-story houses with balconies and laundry lines frame the streets.
History
Written records first mention the settlement in 925 as Melfi on the Sant'Andrea peninsula. Control shifted over centuries between Norman, Swabian, and Aragonese rulers before the town became part of unified Italy in the 19th century.
Culture
The name derives from the medieval Latin Melphicta, referring to the rocky coastline where fishermen gathered their catches. Locals still speak a dialect called Molfettese, blending Italian with older Apulian sounds that echo through the morning markets near the waterfront.
Practical
The old center is easy to explore on foot, though flat shoes help on the cobblestones. The train station offers direct connections to Bari and other towns along the Adriatic coast, while ferries run to select ports across the sea.
Did you know?
Within the town limits lies the Pulo, a circular cave that drops 23 meters (75 feet) and holds Neolithic remains. Archaeologists found pottery shards and wall fragments there, pointing to settlement thousands of years old.
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Pulo di Molfetta
2.1 km
Cathedral of Saint Conrad
720 m
Molfetta Cathedral
477 m
Miragica
4.3 km
Basilica of Our Lady of the Martyrs
1.8 km
Dolmen Frisari
7.9 km
Museo diocesano
327 m
Molfetta Lighthouse
1 km
Palazzo Dogana
672 m
Palazzo Giovene
585 m
Casale di Zappino
7.1 km
Senzafiato
4.3 km
Museo civico archeologico del Pulo
1.4 km
Spiaggia Prima Cala
1.4 km
Santo Stefano church
558 m
San Pietro (Molfetta)
594 m
Chiesa del Purgatorio
512 m
Chiesa della Morte
670 m
Molfetta Diocesan Museum
458 m
Monumento alla Deposizione
746 m
Torre Calderina
5.5 km
Monumento a Gaetano Salvemini
441 m
Torrione Passari
731 m
Sala dei Templari
586 m
Calvario
312 m
Monumento ai Caduti
441 mRaccolta civica d'arte contemporanea di Molfetta
543 m
Palazzo Poli
634 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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