Bari between the Old Town, Art and the Adriatic

Bari can be explored through several themes. Città Vecchia combines Romanesque religious buildings with medieval urban history; underground archaeology, art, opera, orecchiette and the Adriatic complete the spectrum. This allows you to plan your days according to your cultural, culinary or maritime interests.

Romanesque Architecture and Ecumenical History

The Basilica di San Nicola is a Romanesque church in Bari’s Città Vecchia and houses the relics of Saint Nicholas. At the same time, it is an ecumenical site associated with Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christian communities. The Cattedrale di San Sabino is a significant example of Apulian Romanesque architecture; it was built between the 12th and 13th centuries on the ruins of a Byzantine cathedral.

Fortress and Art Collections

The Castello Svevo di Bari was founded in 1131 under Ruggero il Normanno. Its Gipsoteca displays plaster casts of important Apulian monuments and adds sculptural representations of regional buildings to the historical perspective.

The Pinacoteca Corrado Giaquinto combines older and contemporary art. The Grieco Collection comprises 50 paintings of 19th- and early 20th-century Italian art. The contemporary art department includes works by Pino Pascali and Piero Dorazio, among others.

Archaeology beneath Bari

Bari Sotterranea includes the remains of a large Byzantine settlement as well as an early Christian or early medieval basilica with a 6th-century mosaic. Bari Sotterranea is an archaeological tour that lasts slightly more than an hour and a half. This part of Bari therefore offers its own chronological approach to the city’s history.

Bari Vecchia and Orecchiette

The historic core of Bari Vecchia has medieval origins and is enclosed by walls. In the narrow streets of Bari Vecchia, you can watch women preparing orecchiette by hand. The small pasta shapes are therefore not only part of Bari’s culinary identity; they can also be documented in Bari as far back as the second half of the 16th century.

Opera and the Adriatic Coast

The Teatro Petruzzelli is associated with major classics of the operatic repertoire, particularly works by Verdi and Puccini, as well as with new productions in line with international artistic developments. For planning your day, this cultural focus can be combined with churches, the fortress, museums or the archaeological tour, depending on whether you would like to explore architectural history, visual art, music or past settlements in greater depth.

From the Lungomare di Bari, there are views of the Adriatic and some of the city’s most beautiful palaces. Pane e Pomodoro Beach offers swimming, various water sports and leisure activities such as beach volleyball and paddleboarding. Alongside the historical and artistic themes, this also gives you the option of spending time by the water.

Further destinations

For further travel planning, you may also consider Monopoli, Torre A Mare, Minervino Murge, Santo Spirito, Cellamare, Santa Lucia, Triggianello and Bisceglie.

For the higher-level travel overview: Bari.