Bari Guide

Bari is the capital of the Apulia region and is located in the southern 'mezzogiorno' (meaning 'noon' and so called because of the heat of the sun) area of Italy. Bari has a busy port with business conducted on its Adriatic shoreline. Visitors have avoided this part of the country due to the extreme temperatures during the summer months. Through the centuries the city has been influenced by traders and visitors of Byzantine, Greek and Saracen in origin. Traditions have been maintained over the years with the areas architecture remaining unspoiled. In recent years more travellers have visited the area appreciating the architecture and charms of the region. This is the area many Italian chose as their holiday destination. Other Europeans have 'discovered' the charms of� Apulia as a result of budget airlines flying into the local airport.

The city is divided into three distinct sections, the Old, the Newer and the Modern. For visitors it is the Old Area, constructed on the land jutting out into the Adriatic, that contains the more interesting sights and is distinguished by the beautiful ornate structures that hark back to a time when the city was one of the most important ports in the region. The Old Town contains the more historic buildings of the city. The Basilica of St. Nicholas is located on Piazza San Nicolas and was originally founded as a resting place for the remains of the saint. Many people would know the saint by his more familiar image as Father Christmas. The outside of the building is imposing and plain but inside, the curves, arches and paintings tell the mystical story of the saint. Another imposing building in the Old Town is a castle built by crusaders, the Castello Normanno Svevo. Within the walls of the castle is a museum detailing the history of the cities former residents. The Romanesque Bari Cathedral has been destroyed, rebuilt and altered over the years with different additions reflecting the different origins of the builders. For even more information on the area the Palace of the University houses an archaeological museum with artefacts from pre-history, the Bronze Age and the more recent past.

Outside the city there are many interesting sites, including UNESCOrecognised areas. The Trulli of Alberobello are limestone houses found in the southern area of Puglia; the bizarre shapes are a wonderful contrast to the ornate buildings of the city. Many of them are more than 500 years old and have their origins in the 'prehistoric constructions techniques' (UNESCO). Deep beneath the land near the town of� Castellana is a fantastic cave network known as the Castellana Grotte. It was discovered in the early 1900s and has amazing mineral formations in the caverns deep below the earth. Back to the surface, the fantastic cathedral in Altamura, a small city 50 km to the south west of Bari, is well worth a look especially if travelling south to the sandy beaches of the Ionian Coastline.

Please contact the local tourist office for information.

Province of Bari E.P.T.
Ufficio Information
Piazza Moro,
32/A (CAP: 70121)
+39 0805 24 2244