The Urban Evolution of Turi: Between Castle, Walls and Boroughs

The history of Turi can be read in its stones, in the streets that shape its urban fabric, and in the architecture that, over the centuries, has defined its identity. The town’s urban development revolves around the Castle of Turi, the original centre of civil and military life, from which the first inhabited nucleus took shape.

Built before the year 1000, probably during the Byzantine or Norman period, the castle began as a watchtower surrounded by a defensive wall. Its position—on a strategic rise between today’s Largo Marchesale and Via Massari—allowed control over a vast area stretching all the way to the sea, making it a key point in the region’s defensive network.

In the centuries that followed, the original fortification was expanded by the Normans of Conversano, starting with Tommaso da Frassineto, and gradually transformed into a true castle. Around it, houses and places of worship began to rise, forming a stable settlement that continued to develop under the rule of the Swabians, the Angevins and the Aragonese, remaining always tied to the County of Conversano.

A significant turning point came in 1545, when the fief passed to the Moles family. During this phase, the castle gradually lost its solely defensive function and became a baronial residence. The building and its walls were enlarged and adapted to this new role, while the town experienced a period of urban and economic growth, as evidenced by the construction of convents, churches and workshops that enriched the local landscape.

In the seventeenth century, the area between the baronial palace and the Collegiate Church was almost completely built up. This saturation made it necessary to expand beyond the “Terra”, the oldest part of the settlement, leading to the creation of a new outer borough. The district developed along three main streets: the Stradone, Via San Giovanni and Via del Borgo, today known as Via Giuseppe Orlandi, marking a new phase in Turi’s urban layout.

The eighteenth century brought a period of profound architectural renewal. Churches and noble palaces were carefully renovated, reflecting the prestige and ambitions of the ruling families. Mid-century, with the fief passing to the Venusio family of Matera, the former Moles residence was transformed into the current Palazzo Marchesale, a building that still dominates the historic centre and stands as one of the most representative symbols of the town.

By the nineteenth century, the town’s defensive structures had completely lost their purpose. The city gates were gradually demolished, with the exception of Porta Nuova, incorporated into Palazzo Marchesale; the last to be removed was Porta San Giovanni. The town walls were partially dismantled and partially absorbed into new housing, though some stretches remain visible today, notably along Via Dogali, at the base of the Mother Church’s bell tower—tangible evidence of the ancient defensive system.

Today, walking through Largo Marchesale, Via Orlandi and Via Dogali, one can clearly perceive the historical stratification of Turi: from the Norman fortified nucleus to the baronial residence, from the eighteenth-century borough to the modern urban layout. The castle and its walls, though reshaped by time, continue to tell the story of a town that has managed to preserve and weave its past into everyday life.

Credits: Giovanni Lerede, Pietro A. Logrillo.