Monopoli Villas & Apartments (Apulia)
The town of Monopoli is a charming place located by the sea and famous for its beaches and clean water as well as its baroque churches. The town grew considerably in the Baroque period, with the 12th century cathedral given a new facade, while many noble houses were built, among them the lovely Palmieri mansion.
This is a hard working agricultural and fishing town, which has now developed a good tourist trade. There are many interesting sites to visit including the Madonna della Madia Cathedral, built in 1107 and completely rebuilt in the 18th century. This is one of the most attractive examples of Baroque architecture in the entire Apulian region. Notable is the Byzantine icon portraying the Madonna della Madia; legend says that the sacred image was washed up from the sea on a raft made of huge wooden logs that were then used for the building of the trussed roof which dates from 1280 and is very well preserved and of fine workmanship.
Also worth a visit is Santa Maria degli Amalfitani near the port of Monopoli, which is a Romanesque building erected at the beginning of the 12th century on a pre-existing rock settlement. In addiiton, the Abbey of Santo Stefano, a fortified complex built in 1086, which is the remains of an old church survive in the inner courtyard, still inside there are the visible remains of the Roman settlement of Turris Paola. You can stay in a lovely Apulia Villa or rent a great Puglia apartment in this area.
Apulia Villas and Apartments