Lama Monachile & Bourbon Bridge
Lama Monachile & Bourbon Bridge is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Polignano a Mare audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~30 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Polignano a Mare Polignano a Mare guide
About Lama Monachile & Bourbon Bridge
The ancient ravine (lama) that cuts through the limestone cliff into Polignano a Mare, spanned by a Bourbon-era bridge, and providing the town's most dramatic entrance from the main road.
The Lama Monachile is the name given to the geological ravine, a natural cut in the limestone plateau, that creates the valley in which the cove beach of Cala Porto is located. The ravine has been an important feature of the town's geography since antiquity: the Roman Via Traiana once crossed nearby, and today the ravine is spanned by the Ponte Borbonico, a stone bridge built by the Bourbons in the 1830s that still carries pedestrian traffic. The view along the ravine from the bridge, down to the beach at the bottom and the Adriatic beyond, is one of the most striking views in the town.
Did you know? The Ponte Borbonico at Lama Monachile was built by the Bourbons in the 1830s, as part of the coastal road connecting Bari and Lecce. Though often photographed as if it were ancient, it is a 19th-century structure, and it continues to carry pedestrian traffic daily, the much-reproduced backdrop to the Cala Porto cove.
How long should you spend at Lama Monachile & Bourbon Bridge?
Plan about ~30 min at Lama Monachile & Bourbon Bridge. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Lama Monachile & Bourbon Bridge worth visiting?
Lama Monachile & Bourbon Bridge is one of the 12 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Polignano a Mare, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Polignano a Mare
Hear the story of Lama Monachile & Bourbon Bridge
Preview the Polignano a Mare tour free in the Gingerguide app.