The city of Mola di Bari

Mola di Bari, 30,000 inhabitants and a fishing port. Fishing, tourism and culture are combined with good hospitality, which finds its highest expression in the gastronomy, hospitality and history of Mola itself.

All roads lead to the sea, alleys and gorges lead to places and buildings of special value and prestige. The Castle of Anjou rises majestically on the Lungomare, in the heart of the old village is the mother church dedicated to St. Nicholas of Bari. In the main square the Palazzo Roberti, where the fountain stands, is a symbol of Mola, a meeting place and a walk for people. Visit the Van Westerhout Theater, a sign of the Molesi’s cultural and theatrical sensibilities. However, Mola is not only the sea: in the countryside you can enjoy the pleasures of masserie and agriturismo. For those who visit it in summer, for those who want to discover it all year round, Mola offers hospitality, love and good food.

Angevin Castle

Built to guard and defend the city’s harbor and seafront, Angevin Castle is a mansion and star-shaped bunker. It was built by Charles I of Anjou, but the parapet wall and the current star polygon shape are the work of Emperor Charles V, making it one of the most important examples of military architecture in the South. The mighty cliffs and the moat, which is connected to the sea, are still there

Mother Church

Located within the old village not far from the sea, the Church of Matrice is a precious treasure trove of works of art. The building is a fine example of Renaissance architecture, enriched by Baroque additions. Recent restorations have made it possible to improve the exterior, the rose window and the two portals. In the crypt, on the other hand, there is a fragment of wood attributed, according to tradition, to the Cross of Christ presented to Mola in 1700 and carried in a procession on Good Friday afternoon ever since.

Van Westerhout Theater

Built in 1800, the Municipal Theater of Mola di Bari was named after its most famous fellow citizen, the composer Nicolo ‘Van Westerhout. Expansion work, restorations and more recent work to adjust security regulations went through the theater until a little gem was returned to the citizens. Outside the facade is neoclassical, inside the theater presents itself as a living room decorated with stucco, mirrors and gold. A central corridor separates the rows of red velvet armchairs, the walls of the boxes are decorated with gold friezes, and the central parapet shows itself, the symbol of the city of Mola, the owl.

The Hypogeum Frantoio delle Quattro Fontane

Another point of interest, along with the most well-known, begins and extends underground. Below Piazza Risorgimento it is possible to admire the “Frantoio Hypogeum” on guided tours: not just simple caves, but recovered works of engineering that have come down to us as evidence of the central importance of the production of oil, which is exported throughout the Mediterranean .

Mola di Bari seen from above