Monopoli
| Monopoli | ||
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| Comune | ||
| Città di Monopoli | ||
View of Monopoli from the city beach of Cala Porta Vecchia
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.svg) Monopoli within the Province of Bari |
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 Monopoli
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| Coordinates: 40°57′N 17°18′E / 40.950°N 17.300°ECoordinates: 40°57′N 17°18′E / 40.950°N 17.300°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region |
 Apulia
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| Province / Metropolitan city | Bari (BA) | |
| Frazioni | See list | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Emilio Romani (Popolo delle Libertà) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 157.89 km2 (60.96 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 9 m (30 ft) | |
| Population (31-12-2014) | ||
| • Total | 49,246 | |
| • Density | 310/km2 (810/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Monopolitani | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 70043 | |
| Dialing code | 080 | |
| Patron saint | Madonna della Madia | |
| Saint day | December 16 | |
| Website | Official website | |
Monopoli (Italian pronunciation: [moˈnɔːpoli]) is a town and municipality in Italy, in the province of Bari and region of Apulia. The town is roughly 156 square kilometres (60 sq mi) in area and lies on the Adriatic Sea about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Bari. It has a population of 49.246 (2014) and is important mostly as an agricultural, industrial and tourist centre.
The area was first settled in about 500 BC as a fortified Messapian city.
In order to improve communication with the East, between the years 108 and 110 AD, the Emperor Trajan ordered the construction of a Via Publica which was named after him. Monopoli is the city in Apulia that has the longest stretch of the Via Traiana. This is one of the most important Roman roads of the Empire. In 2012 the city of Monopoli created an archeological park around the remains of this ancient road. The difference between this new road and the Appian Way was the shorter distance between Benevento and Brindisi. The Appian Way started in Rome, reaching Benevento and continuing on to Taranto, and from there the road continued to Brindisi, from which port people could take ship for Greece, the Orient and the Balkans. The Via Traiana, which followed an older route, began in Benevento and crossing the flat tableland up to Canosa continued on to Ruvo, where a fork in the road led in two different directions. The inland road went to Modugno, Ceglie del Campo, Capurso, Rutigliano and Conversano, while the coastal road went to Bari, Polignano, and Monopoli. These two roads joined again at Egnazia, from where the road continued to Brindisi. This road which Emperor Trajan had constructed became the route of choice to reach Brindisi because it was shorter than the Appian Way. It was travelled by military troops, merchants, slaves, pilgrims and, after the fall of Rome, even by hordes of barbarians. There is another important road on the other side of the Adriatic Sea which seems to be the continuation of this road. It is called the Egnazia Way and starts in Dyrrachium (Durazzo), in Albania, crossing a mountainous area to reach Thessaloniki (Salonica) and continuing on to Constantinople (Istanbul).
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Wikipedia