MONOPOLI, with its seaport, the old town, rupestrian churches and monumental beauties, it’s located only 3 km away from the Farmhouse, easily reachable by walk or bike. The seaside is even closer: the “Calette”, coves of sand, or the rocks on refreshing and clear water, characteristic of the Southern Monopoli. Then, the “Capitolo” Area, with its long sand beaches and touristic district,offers fully equipped beachresorts, only 5 km away from the Farmhouse.

Monopoli "Borgo Antico"

Monopoli – old town

Monopoli is, on the Adriatic, one of the busiest seaports of the region. Its old city of early medieval origin, overlooking the sea surrounded by high walls. Monopoli is also called the city of a hundred hamlets. The territory outside the walled city is in fact divided into several locations called contrade, whose names evoke ancient noble families or houses disappeared, the presence of a farm, a church or other historical and geographical references.
The coast, almost 15 kilometers long, is low and jagged: with more than 25 coves and wide sandy beaches are particularly ideal for swimming and exploring the marine life. The territory of the city is divided into districts, some of which are now included within the village. They are characterized by the presence of ancient fortified farms (of agricultural activities run centers), rupestrian churches and settlements, trulli, neoclassical patrician villas and farmhouses. Cultivation is predominantly made up of olive and almond trees, but there are fruit trees (citrus, cherry, fig) and most vegetables. The natural vegetation, mainly Mediterranean, is still present in different areas of the territory. The coastal plain is an extremely suggestive landscape for farms that dot and the presence of knotty and monumental secular olive trees, plants shaped by time and wind, living testimony to the history of the area.

Our farm is located 1 km from the ancient Abbey of St. Stephen Abbazia di Santo Stefano (also called Santo Stefano’s Castle), a major coastal fortification, placed on the outside of the Monopoli’s old town is about 3.5 km along the coast . Throughout the Middle Ages, it has been an essential component of the complex and defensive system of Monopoli city. Founded in 1086, it was built on a peninsula between two bays that form two small natural harbors (current Santo Stefano’s Lido and porto Ghiacciolo’s cove). It was the seat of the Benedictine monastery, which gave the name to the fortress for the presence of the relics of the saint, then transferred in 1365 from Monopoli to Putignano to defend them from the Turkish and pirate continuous attacks. Around the end of the thirteenth century, the Knights of Malta, who already owned a domus intra moenia used as a hospital, in order to better control the traffic to the Holy Land, decided to move to the Abbey fortifying the old coastal defense manor house. These last created a still visible moat and made useful to docking both the bays at right and left of the monastery fortress. In this way, on the greek or greek-east windy days, the abbey-fortress became a must for sailors from Bari to Brindisi. The presence of two bays provided, in addition, the ability to repair more ships simultaneously and supply them with everything needed to make the trip to the Holy Land. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the surrounding area was incorporated in the section of Monopoli Cathedral. For voluntary annexation, Monopoli with the abbey passed under the Bourbon administration. It was the first city in Puglia to do it.

porto-ghiacciolo-abbbazia-santo-stefano

Monopoli – Santo Stefano Abbey and “porto ghiacciolo” cove

TOWNS nearby our agriturismo:

    • Matera  with its Sassi, Stones of Matera (70 Km)
    • Lecce and its Baroque patrimony (100 Km)

ARCHAEOLOGICAL sites nearby our agriturismo:

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