Polignano a Mare is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy, located on the Adriatic Sea. The local economy mostly depends on tourism, agriculture and fishing. The area has been settled since prehistoric times, evidenced by archaeological excavations in the locality of Santa Barbara. It is believed to be the site of the ancient Greek city of Neapolis of Apulia. Nowadays, some historians suggest that this latter was one of the two colonies founded during the 4th century BC by Dionysius II of Syracuse; other sources, instead, claim Julius Caesar as the father of Polignano a Mare, which might have been a central hub along the well-known Via Traiana. Thanks to its strategic position on the Adriatic Sea, it soon became a trade centre, at least until the introduction of a Greek coin bearing the "NEAII" inscription.
Country: Italy
Region: Apulia
Elevation: 24 m (79 ft)
Metropolitan city: Bari (BA)
Frazioni: Casello Cavuzzi, Chiesa Nuova, San Vito and a part of Triggianello