MOLFETTA (ITALY)
A tour in Puglia enjoying history, tradition, food and music
Hello everyone and welcome to Molfetta! Molfetta is a coastal city in the Apulia region, a region very famous for its olive trees, its sun, its sea, and many other things that we will discover together. Come with me!
Molfetta overlooks the Adriatic Sea, 25 km north of the city of Bari. Like the entire Apulia region, the city has experienced an increase in both national and international tourism in recent years. In the past, however, it was an important industrial center also for its saltpeter mines, but above all a maritime center for the flourishing fishing, naval, and commercial activity of its port. The official construction of the port, as we see it today, dates back to 1844, when the King of Italy himself laid the first stone. The millennial relationship between Molfetta and the sea is also reflected in its gastronomy, rich in typical fish-based dishes.
Here we are walking along the Lungomare Colonna and, in front of me, we can see the oldest part of the city.
The core of the oldest Molfetta is formed by a small peninsula called “Isola di Sant’Andrea,” which dates back to the 3rd century AD, accessed through ancient arches. It is a maze of very characteristic alleys, in a fishbone pattern, where the houses develop on various levels of height and are sometimes connected to each other by passages that also serve as balconies or terraces.
Both the streets and the houses are built with amber-colored stone, where green windows stand out. The style is decidedly Mediterranean, as are the types of plants we find during our walk, namely palm trees, bougainvillea, and succulents, which testify to a warm and humid climate, typical of Southern Italy. As an urban center, Molfetta was founded by the Greeks around the 4th century, then passed under the dominion of the Romans and other peoples who disputed it, as well as being bought, gifted, and resold by European kings and nobles.
In fact, thanks to its position overlooking the sea, it had great importance for trade with other cities of the Adriatic and the rest of the Mediterranean, such as Venice, Alexandria of Egypt, Constantinople, and Amalfi. Molfetta was also a stop for pilgrims heading to the Holy Land during the Crusades.
Precisely one of these pilgrims, Conrad of Bavaria, is today the patron saint of the city. The cathedral of the Duomo is dedicated to him. The buildings adjacent to this Cathedral, over time, were used as a seminary and later as a customs house. We mention again the towers of the Duomo, as well as another tower called “del mare che passa” or “Passari,” to recall the great historical, cultural, and economic relevance that these watchtowers had in Molfetta.
Leaving the Isola di Sant’Andrea, which developed mainly in the medieval period, we cross the viale Dante, an avenue that was once a canal, later buried in the 18th-19th centuries, which separated the Isola from the other part of the city, called the borgo. Here in the borgo we find the Cathedral of the Assumption, which preserves the bones of San Corrado and the church of Purgatory. Passing the villa Comunale Giuseppe Garibaldi, which is a park among the main meeting places of the people of Molfetta, we find the Calvary, a 19th-century octagonal temple in Gothic style. This small temple is more than 20 meters high and was built in 1856 by the Jesuits with local stone and located in front of the ancient church of San Bernardino, which dates back to 1451.
Before leaving Molfetta, it is worth climbing onto the stage of the “Disco Novità,” the important Radio Idea Festival, which every year presents the summer’s new music releases.
And from the port of Molfetta, I say goodbye, sending you a big hug. Ciao to everyone, see you soon, from Massimo Raciti!