The regional capital of Puglia, the city of Bari is home to more than 300,000 inhabitants and is the most populous town on the Adriatic Sea. Characterized by an ancient and glorious mercantile and business history, for centuries it has been an important commercial and cultural hub with the peoples of the Middle East.
Bari, however, is also rich in a vast cultural and historical heritage that makes it one of the most sought-after destinations in southern Italy.
The urban center consists of the new city, built in 1813 at the behest of Joachim Murat, which extends from the railway to the coast, and the old city (Barivecchia), which, on the other hand, includes the territory between the new and old harbors and is enclosed to the east by the walls that divide it from the waterfront.
Known for housing the relics from the patron saint St. Nicholas, the Basilica of Bari is one of the Orthodox Church's most beloved centers in the West, becoming a meeting point between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Among the various monuments that can be admired are the Cathedral of St. Sabinus, the Norman-Swabian Castle, the Fort of St. Anthony Abbot, the Petruzzelli Theater, and the Military Memorial of the Fallen Overseas.
Finally, beautiful Bari offers a delicious food and wine tradition, with Mediterranean dishes based on local products such as wheat, oil, wine and vegetables. How can we fail to mention orecchiette with turnip tops, calzoni al forno (baked calzones) or Bari tiella with rice mussels and potatoes? A true delicacy!