Centro Storico di Polignano a Mare

The historic centre of Polignano a Mare occupies a limestone ridge above the Adriatic. Its whitewashed lanes, old gate, small squares and sea-facing loggias preserve the compact form of a fortified coastal settlement.

Why it matters

The borgo antico developed on a cliff above the sea, where the height and narrow land approach shaped its defensive form. The old town was entered through the Arco Marchesale, and the surrounding walls and moat helped define the settlement before later neighbourhoods expanded inland.

What to notice

The Arco Marchesale retains holes associated with the former drawbridge chains. Beyond the gate, lanes lead toward Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, framed by the church and historic civic buildings. Via Giudea preserves the name of the former Jewish quarter. Poems in Italian and dialect painted on walls and doorways form a more recent layer of the town's public culture. Small squares, stairways and loggias open views toward the Adriatic.

Context and history

The region's history includes Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Norman and Venetian periods. The cove below the town served as a commercial harbour under Venetian rule in the fifteenth century. The settlement remained enclosed within its fortified centre for centuries; newer districts spread inland during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.