Aspetti naturalistici e scientifici delle grotte e delle falesie di Polignano a Mare

Polignano a Mare is placed on the Adriatic coast of Apulia (Southern Italy). The historic centre lies on a steep cliff which is composed by Cretaceous and Quaternary carbonate rocks. Along the rocky coast, several caves and cavities used in the Prehistoric age as human settlement are observable and most of all accessible. These natural structures are due to the combined action of wave motion and karst phenomena, which characterised the Murgia area. The costal cliffs of Polignano a Mare are affected, especially in their higher part, by rock slope instability, which is strictly linked to the geostructural and mechanical properties of the rock masses, and anthropogenic factors. Wave action and seismicity have to be considered also. Therefore, a serious risk is clearly noticeable for the historical buildings lying on the precarious cliff edges. This paper aims to illustrate the main features of this site, in terms of coastal morphology and geology, rocky cliff instability and cliff recession, providing a detailed description of the particular landscape and its fragility.