Mola di Bari, more commonly referred to simply as Mola, is a small coastal town of about 26,000 inhabitants located approximately 22 kilometres south of Bari in the Southern Italian region of Apulia (Puglia).

In recent times, it was best known for having primarily whitewashed buildings, however, growth, modern construction and building design have changed the image significantly, particularly in the northern (and more modern) section.

Mola city centre is its main piazza, Piazza XX Settembre near the port and also boasts a church (Chiesa Matrice, i.e. Mother Church) dating back to the 13th century. Bakeries in Mola are known to make some of the finest focaccia in Italy.

Until the early 1990s, there were two privately owned public ovens available to the inhabitants of Mola, one located on Via Nino Bixio, on the southern part of the town, and the other located on Via Pesce, on the opposite side of the main Piazza. These businesses served the local residents by providing a place to cook baked goods, primarily focaccia and breads. Typically, focaccia pans were quite large (some approaching half a meter in diameter) and were difficult to cook in one’s home. The tradition of sending items to be baked by the local oven has passed.

Mola is also home to a large fishing industry that supplies fresh fish throughout the southern Italian region.