Polignano a Mare

“Nel blu, dipinto di blu”: so sang Domenico Modugno, one of the greatest singer-songwriters in Italian music. And it's to Domenico Modugno that Polignano a Mare, a town of about 18,000 people in the province of Bari, owes its fame: the famous singer was born here in 1928.

A statue was even made in his honor. The monument, unveiled in 2009, stands at a central spot on the seafront, its arms flung open toward the town, as if it were about to “fly”.

But Polignano is much more than that. So much beauty and so many wonders are found in this characteristic town that juts out over the sea, perched on towering cliffs: from striking rocky coves such as Lama Monachile to balconies over the sea and caves such as Grotta Palazzese. Traces of the past abound too, like the bridge of the old Via Traiana, the ancient defensive walls, the Arco and Palazzo Marchesale, Piazza dell'Orologio and its many churches.

All this bears witness to a great past and an ancient history. Legend has it that the Roman statesman and general Gaius Marius, between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, found a high cliff, where Polignano would later rise, by sending out a small falcon to scout. Here he is said to have found refuge and built a town from scratch.

The town's name, in fact, means “new city.” The words “a Mare” (“by the sea”), on the other hand, were added in 1862 by King Victor Emmanuel, to highlight the seaside towns of the newborn Italian state.

Another legend says that the land on which Polignano would later rise came from a piece of the Greek coast that broke off and then fused with the coast of Apulia.

The sea is Polignano's ace in the hole. Its beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag every year from 2008 to this day. The sea is also the star at the table: Polignano's cuisine is dominated by fish, including shellfish, gilthead bream and octopus. The local olive oil and wines have also won many awards. No wonder so many summer festivals are held in honor of local food.

The food festivals alternate with the religious celebrations for Polignano a Mare's patron saint, Saint Vitus: from June 14 to 16, there's a procession on the sea and fireworks.

Polignano a Mare is a fairy-tale place. As you wander the alleys of the old town, up the little stairways that lead to the highest part, you'll find lines of poetry painted on the stone: Alda Merini, Mark Twain and Alexandre Dumas guide you to one of the most breathtaking views in Italy.