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The caves of the Grotte di Castellana were discovered on January 23, 1938, by Franco Anelli and explored by him and Vito Matarrese. Even before the discovery, the hole (or entrance) in the earth was known, but was only used as a garbage dump. The caves can be visited as part of a guided tour. There are two different tours: one is about one kilometer long, the other is 3 kilometers long. The visit always begins in the Grave, a cave 60 meters deep, 100 meters wide, and 100 meters high. The second path leads to the White Grotto. The stalactites here are the color of alabaster. The second path is only accessible to a limited number of visitors, as the cave has no natural ventilation. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grotte_di_Castellana More about the grotto from me: Unfortunately, pictures are only permitted in the first vault, the Grave. The grotto is privately owned. The temperature inside the grotto is 13 degrees Celsius in the first vault and 16 degrees Celsius afterward, with humidity between 60% and 100%. Sturdy shoes and a jacket are recommended. The limestone is quite slippery.

A fortified church

beautiful view of the old town

Very easy to reach.

​Porto Ghiacciolo is one of the most charming coves in Monopoli, located south of the city center, at the foot of the Abbey of Santo Stefano. This beach is characterized by fine, light sand, crystalline waters that vary from emerald green to intense blue, and gently sloping seabeds, making it ideal for swimming and snorkeling. The name "Ghiacciolo" comes from the fresh sea currents that cross the area, giving the water a pleasantly refreshing temperature even in the hottest months.

​Porto Ghiacciolo is one of the most charming coves in Monopoli, located south of the city center, at the foot of the Abbey of Santo Stefano. This beach is characterized by fine, light sand, crystalline waters that vary from emerald green to intense blue, and gently sloping seabeds, making it ideal for swimming and snorkeling. The name "Ghiacciolo" comes from the fresh sea currents that cross the area, giving the water a pleasantly refreshing temperature even in the hottest months.

The Collegiate Church (Main Church) represents an expansion in successive phases of the small church already existing in the 12th century dedicated to the Marian cult and radically transformed over the centuries. Currently arranged on three naves, it houses a 14th-century polychrome baptismal font, a sculptural group of the Madonna Enthroned with Child (1505), attributed to the local artist Stefano da Putignano; a Baroque Crucifix and 14 large canvases of the Via Crucis. The canvases are mentioned in the church's archive documents starting from 1745 and constitute a stylistically poor and modest collection, with Caravaggio influences, probably commissioned by the church chapter to the Lecce friar Luigi del Santissimo Sacramento with the aim of instructing the faithful. In the presbytery there is a polyptych in local stone and wood. Commissioned by the Count of Conversano Giulio Antonio Acquaviva and built by Nuzzo Barba di Galatina, it houses 9 stone statues with the exception of one in wood, which depict the Madonna with child in the central part, in the upper register Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Rocco, Saint Sebastian and the Risen Christ, while in the lower register Saint Dominic of Guzman (in wood), Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Vito Martyr. The ancient Gothic façade of the collegiate church, with interventions carried out between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, was replaced by a new neoclassical façade through the construction of a large pediment that altered the original design. In the second half of the 18th century, the current bell tower (35 m high) was completed to replace the pre-existing one. Finally, in the mid-19th century, the wooden vault of the central nave was raised and the columns dating back to the Gothic structure were incorporated into new stone pillars. Ref. www.fondoambiente.it

Church located in the center of the town consists of three naves. It has undergone various interventions over the centuries.