Polignano a Mare

We decided to have an excursion from Conversano to the seaside. The first places we tried were not very inspiring, but eventually we happened upon Polignano a Mare. We parked near the centre of the town and headed towards the pretty, small bay. The picture below gives a view looking towards the beach, while the one above, taken from the road bridge gives a more realistic sense of how popular - and crowded - it was.

We continued across the bridge - after having a disastrous encounter with a melting chocolate ice cream  - and were delighted to find this imposing gateway leading into the old town.

Quite soon on the left was this intriguing building with a bell tower, apparently a church but attached to the Osteria dei Mulini. It turns out to be the Chiesa del Purgatorio - the Church of Purgatory!

 

  

 

We carried on to enter the main square, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. Here we found the Clock Tower, the Palazzo dell'Orologio.  It dates from the 19th century and surprisingly is still wound up by means of ropes.

 

 

To the right was the imposing Church of Santa Maria Asunta (the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary). There was a nice bar opposite, so we adjourned for a refreshing Peroni.

 

 

Here is the interior of the church.

 

 

 

 We may well have missed other delights, but this was a very pleasant short exploration..