Bari, the largest center of the Apulia region and the third city of the Southern Italy behind Naples and Palermo with an immense historical and artistic heritage and a strategic bridge over the Mediterranean between Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Historically, Bari links its name to St. Nicholas, preserving his relics since 1087, when an expedition of sailors from Bari reached the Cathedral of Myra in Southern Turkey, transporting the remains of this venerated Greek saint and bishop from the Catholic and Orthodox Church to Italy.
1st Day – Piazza del Ferrarese – Piazza Mercantile – Basilica of San Nicola – Church of San Marco – Church of Carmine – Basilica of San Sabino
The visit can start with the "Old Town", a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and winding alleys that intersect around the two main squares of this city area, namely Piazza del Ferrarese and Piazza Mercantile, which represent the beating, commercial and political heart of the city.
The first square takes its name from an Emilian merchant who successfully moved to Bari in the seventeenth century.
Piazza Mercantile corresponds to the urban space where the daily Cerci Market was celebrated in the past, also known as Piazza Maggiore, which houses on its surface the famous Sedile dei Nobili or Palazzo del Sedile or the ancient municipal seat.
Erected in 1543 it was destroyed by fire in 600, the severe damage caused to the structure generated a radical reconstruction maintaining the original Renaissance style with the insertion in 1604 of a clock and in the eighteenth century the upper loggia was developed.
In 1820 the building became the Bari theater par excellence until the construction of the famous Piccinni Theater and in 1835 the activities related to the performance of shows stopped fearing collapses.
You can then stop in front of the Column of Justice where thieves, insolvent or bankrupt people, innate and exposed to the public were pilloried.
The white marble column called by the locals "infamous column" surmounted by a sphere was placed on a base with four steps and at the base there is a stone sculpture depicting a lion of the Roman Imperial era bearing an engraving written in Latin or Custos Iusticiae which translated means, guardian of justice.
It is said wanted by the Venetians who freed Bari from the Saracens or in another historical supposition that it was Peter of Toledo, Viceroy of Spain, who wanted its presence.
Continuation with the House of the famous composer Niccolò Piccinni, talented musician of the 700 to whom Bari has named his conservatory.
You can see on the same square with the Basilica of San Nicola, the city emblem and acclaimed medieval masterpiece of Puglia, a master work of regional Romanesque erected at the request of the citizens immediately after the arrival of the remains of the Saint from Myra.
The façade is rather sober with two towers on the sides with a different appearance that confirm how long and laborious the works were.
Visiting the interior in the apse there is the ciborium considered the oldest existing in the region and you will admire the Chair of St. Elias, a throne with three allegorical figures and two lionesses on the back.
The ceiling is wonderful with extraordinary decorations in gold carvings dating back to the seventeenth century depicting stages in the life of St. Nicholas.
Afterwards you can visit to the crypt developed under the presbytery which boasts 28 columns finely decorated with Byzantine and Romanesque capitals.
In the central altar are preserved the famous relics from Asia Minor venerated by Orthodox and Catholic pilgrims.
Time for your lunch, staying in the traditional Barese cuisine I suggest Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa or Patate Riso e Cozze, among the second courses Pollo alle Mandorle or Bombette Pugliesi both accompanied by a fresh mixed salad.
After lunch you can visit the beautiful Church of San Marco erected at the end of the eleventh century by the large colony of active merchants of Venice residing in Bari for the excellent relations between the two citAfter ies since medieval times and to commemorate the triumph of Doge Orseolo II against the Saracens in the liberation of the siege of the Apulian city between 1002 and 1003.
The church with splendid Romanesque lines boasts a portal decorated with rosary beads, a winged lion and a rose window developed in a radial pattern with the symbol of the Serenissima in the center or the Lion of San Marco.
In the 17th century the church was occupied by the Confraternity of St. Anthony and then became the seat of the Order of Franciscans from the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Pozzo in Capurso.
In the same street stands a building that was the residence of the Venetian Consul, identifiable by a stone lion's head.
Through Piazza Odegitria you will enter Via del Carmine where the Church and the Convent of the same name stand, a complex erected in 1640 although restored and modified later.
The last stop of the day's visit will be the Basilica of San Sabino, an early Christian building erected between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries which was probably previously a Byzantine cathedral that as a whole brings together different architectural styles.
The façade is very sober with three portals of the eleventh century in the lower section while in the upper part there was a rose window with decorations of allegorical figures and monsters.
The bell tower is of a very contemporary period compared to the rest of the complex rebuilt with ancient stones, the dome shows oriental decorations and on the left side there is what was the old baptistery built on a circular plan and today corresponding to the sacristy.
The dome developed over an octagonal drum is of considerable impact and in the rear façade we will admire a large window from the 1300s.
The three-nave interior with sixteen columns shows the original Romanesque details in the pulpit, transepts and women's gallery with the original floor located in the central nave. You will then be able to enter the crypt that preserves the relics of San Sabino and the venerated icon of the Virgin Mary Odegitria brought to Bari in the seventh century from the Middle East.
At the end of the visit, free time to continue enjoying the beauties of the Apulia capital, enjoy a dinner tasting the delectable cuisine Bari offers and overnight stay in the selected hotel.
2nd Day – Fredriciano Castle – Santa Scolastica Complex – Petruzzelli Theatre – Provincial Art Gallery – Civic Historical Museum
You can start the visit of this 2nd day with the imposing Frederick II Castle was erected in 1131 on the remains of a Byzantine stronghold by Roger the Norman and subsequently rebuilt between 1233 and 1244 after being destroyed by William I of Sicily known as "Il Malo" at the behest of Emperor Frederick II.
The building was subsequently enlarged and modified in 500 by the Angevins with works commissioned by Isabella of Aragon and her daughter Bona Sforza who ordered the development of a double flight of staircases, a remodelling of the central courtyard and the elevation of the circle of walls with reinforced bastions.
The structure has preserved many of the architectural elements of Norman-Swabian matrix such as its soaring and massive corner and intermediate towers, the high walls of considerable thickness developed around a quadrangular mullioned plan of purely Gothic style, some elegant columns with Corinthian capitals, large mullioned windows, a beautiful Gothic portal and a bridge built over the moat.
In the 19th century this fortress was used as a prison and later as a barracks.
Afterwards visit of the Complex of Santa Scolastica which despite its baroque profile especially visible in the façade with clear artistic imprint of the 18th century was built in medieval times with the beginning of the works in the 13th century.
The religious nucleus consists of the Church and the old former monastery which is the seat of university sections in modern times.
The religious building boasts a beautiful portal surmounted by a stone statue of St. Benedict, inside you can admire the beautiful altar made with polychrome marbles taken from the Cathedral and of considerable importance some traces of the old floor developed in polychrome terracotta with splendid floral designs.
You will then enter the nineteenth-century Bari where there are many buildings dating back to the nineteenth century among which Palazzo Mincuzzi stands out, an architectural masterpiece in Art Nouveau style that recalls the famous Parisian Galerie Lafayette for its shapes.
You can then stop in front of the famous Petruzzelli Theater built in 1903 by the architect of Bitonto Angelo Messeni.
Its name is due to two brothers from Trieste, well-known shipowners and merchants residing in Bari, namely Antonio and Onofrio Petruzzelli who commissioned the building works.
The inauguration featured "The Huguenots", a famous French opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer.
The Theatre was the victim of a fire on 27 October 1991 with severe damage inside. The façade boasts statues of great musicians and composers such as Vincenzo Bellini, Giuseppe Verdi and Gioacchino Rossini who performed successfully on different occasions.
The architectural lines and refined decorative executions of this theater have placed it among the most attractive on the European continent.
Continuation with the Porto Vecchio area with beautiful maritime views where you can visit the rich Provincial Art Gallery which contains an incomparable collection of artistic masterpieces such as masterpieces by Veronese, Tintoretto, Giordano and other contemporary works by prestigious artists such as Morandi and De Chirico.
Time for your lunch, I suggest as first courses the classic Spaghetti all' Assassina or Risotto ai Frutti di Mare among the second courses, Seppie Gratinate al Forno with Roast Potatoes or Lamb Ribs in Sauce with Grilled Pepper and Olives.
After lunch, I recommend a visit to the Civic Historical Museum in the south-eastern urban area of Bari, a museum space that owes its success to the donations of the local Tanzi family.
You can admire different sections such as a very rich armory containing pieces dating back to the Bourbon period and some others that belonged to the National Guard, archival documentation and paintings with portraits of the exponents of that Bari dynasty, documents, objects and relics corresponding to the First World War, old photographs, films of the past, a uniform of the Garibaldian army, small models of ships from different eras, posters and playbills of the Piccinni Theater.
At the end of the visit, free time to continue enjoying the beauties of Bari, continuing to taste the delicious cuisine from Apulia and overnight stay in the chosen hotel.
Bari is a city that offers many historical, artistic, cultural and gastronomic attractions, a unique destination to enjoy the beauty of southern Italy in its own essence.
Link : https://www.italia.it/en/puglia/bari
Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation
Imago Plus Hotel
Hotel Boston
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