Casa dell'Orologio

The Casa dell'Orologio overlooks Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II in Polignano a Mare. Also known as the Palazzo dell'Orologio, the former civic building combines medieval origins with later architectural and decorative changes.

Why it matters

The building preserves the memory of the Università, the historical municipal community and its administration. Its clock made public time part of the architectural expression of civic authority.

What to notice

The clock, bell gable and statue of San Vito distinguish the upper part of the facade. Decorative window surrounds and civic heraldry add further layers to the elevation. These features belong to a building repeatedly adapted, not to an unchanged medieval clock tower.

Context and history

The palace served municipal functions and included spaces connected with the storage of provisions; a prison was associated with its rear. An earlier sundial preceded the mechanical clock installed in the nineteenth century. Its successive uses connect local government, everyday resources and public timekeeping within one historic building.