Bari, located in southern Italy, is the largest city on the Adriatic. It is also the capital of Bari province and Apulia region.
The history of the city is over 4,000 years old and dates back to ancient times. Bari used to be a strategically important port and a major trade centre. The city thrived between 6th and 10th century. In its history, the city was the capital of an independent principality of Bari belonging to the Sforza family. Queen Bona, the wife of Sigismund I the Old, was a member of the powerful House of Sforza, and Bari itself was a part of the Kingdom of Naples and later of the Kingdom of Italy. During World War II, the port of Bari, full of Allied warships at the time, was bombarded heavily by Germans. This massive air raid will later go down in history as ‘Little Pearl Harbor’.
Bari is an important industrial, commercial and cultural centre of southern Italy. It is the 5th most visited city in Europe. Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport is used by more than 5 million travellers each year. Thanks to excellent railway connections and the railway station located in the very centre of the city, Bari is a convenient spot to set off for exploring the whole region.
St. Nicholas is the patron saint of Bari. His relics are deposited in the Romanesque, Pontifical Basilica di San Nicola (Basilica of Saint Nicholas). It is an equally important place for the history of Poland because Queen Bona was laid to rest there.
Contemporary Bari is a city with a shipbuilding, food, textile and an automotive industry. Bari is famed for its exquisite wines, excellent olive oil and various types of pasta.
It is a large commercial and passenger port and has ferry connections to cities in Montenegro, Croatia and Greece. The port handles around 1.7 million passengers and transships around 16.7 million tonnes of cargo. Bari was among first 5 Italian cities to roll out 5G.
There are two public universities in Bari: University of Bari founded in 1925 and the Polytechnic University of Bar, as well as private Jean Monnet University, 11 National Research Council institutes (CNR), Mediterranean Agronomic Institute, Niccolò Piccinni Conservatory and the Academy of Fine Arts. In total, around 80,000 students study in Bari under the eye of 2,500 lecturers.
The Planetarium Sky Skan is located in Fiera del Levante (trade shows) in Bari. High-resolution 3D video projections are screened on a 15-metre diameter dome. Those shows bring astronomy as well as natural sciences and humanities closer to diverse audiences.
Bari is primarily a city that attracts tourists. This remarkable city delights with its original character and hospitality of the residents. Old Town is particularly charming with a maze of narrow streets. People holiday in Bari as it offers beautiful and scenic beaches. A seaside promenade winds alongside a sandy coastline. On top of golden beaches and alluring streets, tourists are attracted by a number of cultural events. Take for example, Bif&st-Bari International Film Festival or many other events around Tarantella (a rapid whirling dance originating in southern Italy). People might also avail of many cultural attractions, a magnitude of theatres, concerts or any other shows. All this turns Bari into a hidden gem on a map of Italy. Autumn (September/October) is preferably the best time to visit Bari. It is still pleasantly warm but not scorching and the place is less crowded with tourists than usual.
Worth seeing:
- Old Town
- St. Nicholas Basilica (Basilica di San Nicola)
- Cathedral of San Sabino
- Castello Svevo di Bari (massive 13C fortress)
- Saint Mark’s Basilica
- Gothic church and Franciscan monastery Romanesque Church of Saint Gregory the Armenian
- Sforza Palace
Wine and dine:
- Patate riso e cozze (local dish) – a combination of rice and potatoes with blue mussels
- Orecchiette – a round-shaped pasta named for the ‘little ears’ they resemble
- Sgagliozze – square or rectangular piece of fried polenta
- Popizze – little balls of fried dough
- Panzerotti – deep-fried pockets of dough
- Calzone di cipolla – a savoury stuffed focaccia made from onions
- Taralli – savoury or sweet cracker similar to a breadstick or a pretzel (typical snack)
- Varied dishes from seafood
Curiosities from Bari:
- Bari is a centre of St. Nicholas cult. Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated with great pomp on May 7-9.
- Queen Bona was poisoned here. Her tombstone dating back to 1593 is located in St. Nicholas Basilica.
- University of Bari is one of the most popular Italy-wide. You can take up such majors like: breeding, hygiene and well-being of dogs and cats.
- Fiera del Levante, globally recognised trade fair, has been organised in Bari since 1930. Lublin-Bari Letter of Intent was concluded at that event.
- The people of Bari love to repeat the phrase: ‘If Paris had the sea, it would be a little Bari’.
