Mola di Bari
Encyclopedia
Mola di Bari, more commonly referred to simply as Mola, is a small coastal town
of about 26,000 inhabitants located approximately 22 kilometres south of Bari
in the Southern Italian
region of Apulia
(Puglia).
In recent times, it was best known for having primarily whitewash
ed buildings, however, growth, modern construction and building design have changed the image significantly, particularly in the northern (and more modern) section.
Mola city centre is its main piazza, Piazza XX Settembre near the port and also boasts a church (Chiesa Matrice, i.e. Mother Church) dating back to the 13th century. Bakeries in Mola are known to make some of the finest focaccia in Italy.
Until the early 1990s, there were two privately owned public ovens available to the inhabitants of Mola, one located on Via Nino Bixio, on the southern part of the town, and the other located on Via Pesce, on the opposite side of the main Piazza. These businesses served the local residents by providing a place to cook baked goods, primarily focaccia and breads. Typically, focaccia pans were quite large (some approaching half a meter in diameter) and were difficult to cook in one’s home. The tradition of sending items to be baked by the local oven has passed.
Mola is also home to a large fishing
industry that supplies fresh fish throughout the southern Italian region.
people is confirmed by some archeological remains. The origin of the city is not entirely known because of lack of sufficient traces to assert a Greek origin (coins now dispersed, an old emblem showing the symbol of Athens
) or Roman (a Roman villa
of the imperial period close to the Northern coast and the remains of a water tank). The proof of the existence of an urban settlement remain scarce and contradictory up until 1277, when Charles I of Anjou ordered the reconstruction of the city along with the building of city walls, a church and a castle.
Under the control of various feudal families (Macedonio, Gesualdo, Maramaldo, Toraldo, Carafa, Vaaz), only in 1670 Mola was able to get rid of remnants of feudal power and to restore its original status within the Kingdom of Naples
.
(Mola di Bari, 1857 - Naples, 1898). Musician and composer
Piero Delfino Pesce (Mola di Bari, 1874–1939). Journalist and politician
Onofrio Martinelli (Mola di Bari, 1900 - Florence, 1966). Painter
Bruno Calvani (Mola di Bari, 1904–1986). Sculptor
Mario Battista (Mola di Bari, 1934 - Rome, 2000). Figurative painter and portraitist. He shared his career between teaching and painting.
Vito Tanzi (Mola di Bari, 1935-) Economist
Giuseppe Avelluto ( Mola di Bari, 1940-) Restaurateur
Via Giuseppe di Vagno is a street running parallel to the "lungomare", on the southeastern part of town. The street is named after Giuseppe di Vagno, a socialist politician who was killed by fascists after a political rally held in Mola di Bari in September 1921
Corso Umberto is a street that runs southwest, starting next to the church in the main Piazza, ending near Piazza degli Eroi (Piazza of the Heroes), also known as San Domenico
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of about 26,000 inhabitants located approximately 22 kilometres south of Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
in the Southern Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region of Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
(Puglia).
In recent times, it was best known for having primarily whitewash
Whitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
ed buildings, however, growth, modern construction and building design have changed the image significantly, particularly in the northern (and more modern) section.
Mola city centre is its main piazza, Piazza XX Settembre near the port and also boasts a church (Chiesa Matrice, i.e. Mother Church) dating back to the 13th century. Bakeries in Mola are known to make some of the finest focaccia in Italy.
Until the early 1990s, there were two privately owned public ovens available to the inhabitants of Mola, one located on Via Nino Bixio, on the southern part of the town, and the other located on Via Pesce, on the opposite side of the main Piazza. These businesses served the local residents by providing a place to cook baked goods, primarily focaccia and breads. Typically, focaccia pans were quite large (some approaching half a meter in diameter) and were difficult to cook in one’s home. The tradition of sending items to be baked by the local oven has passed.
Mola is also home to a large fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
industry that supplies fresh fish throughout the southern Italian region.
History
The old settlement of NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
people is confirmed by some archeological remains. The origin of the city is not entirely known because of lack of sufficient traces to assert a Greek origin (coins now dispersed, an old emblem showing the symbol of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
) or Roman (a Roman villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
of the imperial period close to the Northern coast and the remains of a water tank). The proof of the existence of an urban settlement remain scarce and contradictory up until 1277, when Charles I of Anjou ordered the reconstruction of the city along with the building of city walls, a church and a castle.
Under the control of various feudal families (Macedonio, Gesualdo, Maramaldo, Toraldo, Carafa, Vaaz), only in 1670 Mola was able to get rid of remnants of feudal power and to restore its original status within the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
.
Famous people
Niccolò van WesterhoutNiccolò van Westerhout
Niccolò van Westerhout was an Italian composer.-History and formal training:Of Flemish origin, the family van Westerhout settled in Apulia in the seventeenth century, first in Bari and then in Monopoli...
(Mola di Bari, 1857 - Naples, 1898). Musician and composer
Piero Delfino Pesce (Mola di Bari, 1874–1939). Journalist and politician
Onofrio Martinelli (Mola di Bari, 1900 - Florence, 1966). Painter
Bruno Calvani (Mola di Bari, 1904–1986). Sculptor
Mario Battista (Mola di Bari, 1934 - Rome, 2000). Figurative painter and portraitist. He shared his career between teaching and painting.
Vito Tanzi (Mola di Bari, 1935-) Economist
Giuseppe Avelluto ( Mola di Bari, 1940-) Restaurateur
Main Streets
Via Piero Delfino Pesce is a street running along the seafront on the north-western part of town. It is named after one of Mola's famous inhabitants listed above.Via Giuseppe di Vagno is a street running parallel to the "lungomare", on the southeastern part of town. The street is named after Giuseppe di Vagno, a socialist politician who was killed by fascists after a political rally held in Mola di Bari in September 1921
Corso Umberto is a street that runs southwest, starting next to the church in the main Piazza, ending near Piazza degli Eroi (Piazza of the Heroes), also known as San Domenico
External links
- www.comune.moladibari.ba.it - Official Municipality Site
- www.ambientemola.it - Ambient Councillor's Site and forums (update frequently)
- www.moladibari.com - News from Mola and forums (update frequently)
- "Lo Spiraglio" Local monthly newspaper
- Mola di Bari from Satellite (Google Local)
- Site on Doña Flor, van Westerhout's opera
- Article on the Mola di Bari community in the USA "The Other Mola", Tiziano Thomas Dossena, L'Idea.N.33, 2008