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Palo del Colle (commonly called Palo) is a small town in Apulia, located a few kilometers from Bari.

Understand
Among the places of interest in Palo del Colle there are the delightful old town, where the ancient craft stores make tourists feel as if time had stopped in a distant era, and the beautiful Chiesa Matrice dedicated to the Virgin dating back to the fourteenth century, an interesting example of Apulian Romanesque architecture.

Geographical position
Palo del Colle owes its name to its geographical position, being located on a hill 177 m above sea level. The ancient inhabitants of the area chose to move to this hill in order to enjoy the clean air, guaranteed by the distance from the ponds that were downstream. The municipal territory, with an area of 79.06 km², is set between Bitonto (north-west), Bitetto, Binetto (east) and Toritto (south). It looks like a rural and landscape area characterized by the presence of olive groves interspersed with vineyards as well as almond and fruit trees, there are also areas of Mediterranean scrub and tall ornamental trees (pines and more). As regards the climate, there is no better period to visit Palo del Colle, as its geographical position allows to enjoy the benefits of the Mediterranean climate even in the coldest months. Summers are usually hot and dry, while winters are cold, occasionally accompanied by snowfalls.

Historical background
Its origins date back to the first centuries B.C.: in fact, the first written testimony on its existence is found in the Naturalis historia (77-78 A.D.) by Pliny the Elder, which includes the Palionenses among the ancient inhabitants of Regio II. Considering the authoritativeness of the information provided by Pliny the Elder, the fact that he mentioned the population of the Palionenses, probably omitting others, can be an indicator of the fame and importance that Palo enjoyed in antiquity.The mass of findings in the territory (consisting mainly of tombs with their funerary objects), due to the archaeologists Paolo and Lorenzo Cassalbini, seems to confirm the pre-Roman origin of the country, plausibly to be ascribed to Italic populations rather than settlers from Greece.

Get in
It is possible to reach the town through different means of transport.

By plane
The nearest airport is Bari-Palese



By train
The town has a railway system and it is served by the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane. The station is located in Piazzale Domenico Guaccero and is situated on the railway line that connects Bari, Altamura and Matera.



By bus
Road transport to and from Palo del Colle is guaranteed both by Ferrovie Appulo Lucane and by Società Trasporti Provinciale.

By car
The car is the best way to reach Palo del Colle, especially if you want to avoid the long waits due to public transportation. From northern Italy it is possible to reach Palo del Colle through the Bologna-Taranto freeway A14. From Bari and Matera it is possible to drive along the state roads 96 and 99.

Get around
In the the historical center, it is possible to move only on foot. All major places of interest are located near its center, from which you can easily reach both the main churches, the old town and all the neighborhoods.

Neighborhoods

 * Casale dei Greci
 * Castello
 * Langilana
 * Madonna della Stella
 * Porta Reale
 * San Giuseppe
 * San Rocco
 * San Sebastiano
 * San Vito
 * Spirito Santo

Hamlet

 * Auricarro: a small hamlet of the town characterized by a pine forest where you can find rides for children, equipment for sports and bike path. It is a rather quiet area, ideal for those who want to live in contact with nature.

See
The historical center of the town is dotted with a variety of churches, squares and civil buildings built in perfect baroque and neoclassical style.

Churches
In Palo del Colle there are many churches but the most important ones are the following:

Civil buildings

 * Palo de Colle.jpg
 * Palo de Colle.jpg

Do
Palo del Colle is a very small town, so it is sufficient to visit the most important monuments to understand its historical and landscape value. It could be a good idea to visit this town during the periods when some very important events for the whole community take place.



Eat
Foods belonging to Palo's gastronomic tradition are knniad, a soup of mixed legumes catalogued in the so called poor cuisine, and taralli, a snack cooked in the oven which is often declined in many tastes and shapes. Among other foods that can be tasted in Palo there are those belonging to the Apulian and Bari tradition, for example: focacce, panzerotti and orecchiette with turnip tops.

Drink
In this town there are many bars where it is possible to have a drink and make aperitifs, but the most popular among residents are: