Molfettan Faces: Lullaby Design

Grazia is a local craftsperson who designs and produces one-of-a-kind costume jewelry pieces, including necklaces, bracelets and earrings. She uses semi-precious stones, modelled clay, metal and a variety of other materials.

Her shop, Lullaby Design (click on the name to go to her site), is located in Molfetta's old town on Via Morte (which translates as Death Way, but don't let that put you off!) just past the Chiesa della Morte. She can make you a piece of jewelry to order, to coordinate with a particular outfit or to suit your individual style, and she also repairs existing items.

Her prices are reasonable and she's a lot of fun. Definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in town!

Another Little Bit of Christmas Cheer

This building is attached to the Church of Death, shown in yesterday's post. You can find it on Via Morte. That would be Death Street in English. When I lived in the old town my kitchen door opened onto this street.

Chiesa della Morte

The name of this small deconsacrated church located in the historic center is "The Church of Death." If you look closely you can see the skull and crossbones carved above the door. It has this cheerful name because during the Middle Ages the corpses of the local dead were brought here to decompose in underground crypts. In those days only the very rich or very holy got their own tomb.

These crypts can be seen through areas of the church floor which are covered in glass. There is a whole series of crypts for corpses in varying phases of decomposition. The last stop was the area closest to an opening onto the sea. One high tide and, swoosh, away you go! No more bones cluttering up the crypt...