Coming from the sea or the beach it is easy to distinguish the old town of Bisceglie from the new quarter. The town's position is truly picturesque. It is on a relief, surrounded on the east and the west side by deep depressions (lame) typical of the zone, with a slope leading down to the sea.
The centre of this urban composition is il Duomo (the Cathedral), which dominates with its tall tower. Like a jewel the old city is mounted and enclosed in a set of walls in the shape of an irregular pentagon. The walls are reinforced by irregular towers with two principal entrances : la porta di Zappino, which no longer exists, and la porta del Mare (the sea entrance) which is now walled. The sloping walls which are low and thick are well preserved, especially in the west in the irregular ramparts of Schinosa and St. Angelo.
This construction (1490-1540), which was completed by the Aragonesi, replaced the earlier medieval walls, which had become too weak a defence against attackers.