12/11/2025
Unveil the secrets of Bayit and step back in time to explore the rich history of Polignano a Mare.
Once known as Palazzo Calò, Bayit has a story that offers a fascinating glimpse into the town’s past, pieced together from ancient cadastral records — a true journey through centuries of life and change.
The earliest mention dates back to the 1752 Onciario Land Register of Polignano. At that time, the building was home to Gianfilippo Calò, a 67-year-old man from Castellana who lived here as the steward managing the revenues of the local feudal lord. The house stood along what was then called Strada del Porto, or the Giudea District — today’s Via Tanese. In 1757, Gianfilippo donated part of it to his great-nephew, Francesco Calò.
The original structure, built between 1752 and 1757, included eight rooms on two levels, an oil cistern, a cellar, and several wells. Yet research suggests that the second floor had not been built at that time.
Around 1820, the Calò family’s fortunes declined. Once referred to as “magnificent,” the descendants became tradespeople — a tailor, a carpenter, and a spinner. Burdened by debts, the family sold the property in the mid-19th century. Between 1854 and 1857, Father Vito Carlo Pellegrini gradually purchased the various parts from the Calò heirs.
Under the Pellegrini family, the building continued to grow. By 1888, the house had eight rooms; by 1899, following the death of Maria Generosa Pellegrini, it had expanded to fourteen. This likely marks the construction of part of the second floor, still recognizable today by the projecting band between the first and second levels.
After being sold in poor condition in 1944, the property changed hands several times until it was acquired by the recent owners in 2017.
A complex story of ownership, transformation, and endurance — a silent witness to the centuries-old history of Polignano a Mare.
