In the 1500s, a watchtower was constructed at Torre a Mare, located in Bari, to defend the coast from the invasions of pirates and marauders in the Adriatic Sea. Today that tower stands in the centre of the main square. For this reason, the area took the name "Torre Apellosa" or "Torre Lapillosa", later changed to "Torre Pelosa". The area became a small village of fishermen who lived mainly in trulli and natural caves, and sheltered their boats in the small harbour at the mouth of Lama Giotta.
