The Old Port, dotted with goiters, small boats and fishermen, includes the Margherita pier, which originates from the Castle and ends with the red and white lighthouse. The pier was named after the princess of the same name, betrothed to the future King Umberto I of Savoy. Over time, the Port has been a key element in the city's economy and development.

The history of the port coincides with the history of the city itself since the natural harbours that its coastline offers allowed for the birth of a Messapian city in the 5th century BC. The port was then a canal that was later, from the 11th century onwards, silted up by the Normans in order to better defend the city from an attack by the powerful Byzantine fleet. In the 19th century, the city's mayors campaigned for the government to grant them the right to have the port adapted and expanded. The work for its realisation encountered numerous difficulties, almost always of an economic nature, which is why it took almost a hundred years to complete.

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CREDITS: Comune di Monopoli.