Culture of Bari. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

The old part of the city is surely the most interesting for tourists as here are concentrated all main attractions of Bari. This is the place where you can see the oldest buildings in the city – the so called ancient Barium. The buildings here were built yet in the era of the Roman Empire. In the territory of the old town you will find approximately 30 ancient churches and basilicas that were built during different epochs in the history of Bari. Every religious landmark is considered a unique one and you can hear many interesting mysteries and legends connected with them. Basilica of St. Nicholas remains the main symbol of Bari for already many years. The basilica keeps striking visitors not only by its size, but also by truly rich choice of valuable relics. The church keeps an important religious artifact - the relics of St. Nicholas. Every year a huge number of pilgrims come to the city to see the precious relics. In one of the halls of the church are located ancient icons that were brought to the basilica right after its founding - in the beginning of the 11th century.

When it comes to describing the architectural monuments of the city, the most notable one is surely is the Norman fortress Castello Svevo, which also keeps amazing its guests with its unique architectural style. You may also enjoy visiting old family mansions that are preserved in Bari. Several centuries ago these beautiful houses belonged to the noble lords - Palazzo Zizzi, Tanzi and Calo Carducci. New Bari district will also be very interesting for tourists as here you will find numerous parks and gardens that simply strike with their beauty, as well as museums and theaters. The area of the new part of the city started growing in 1819, so many buildings are very interesting from the architectural point of view.

The central square of the city is a perfect destination for hiking. The square is decorated with magnificent fountains and statues. Not far away from the square you will find a theater and an art gallery. You can learn a lot about the past of Bari if you make an excursion to the city’s Historical Museum (Museo Storico Civico), which is also located near the center of the new district. Fans of theater simply cannot fail to ignore Petruzzelli Theatre, which occupies a beautiful historic building. In 2010, the famous theater was reopened after the restoration. Today the halls of the theater and its scene look truly amazing. The atmosphere here is reminiscent of old noble palaces. Suburban areas of Bari are truly rich in various historical and architectural attractions. Here you will find ancient castles Balciliano, Carbonara, Ceglie del Campo and Monopoli. You should also not to forget to make a visit to a small provincial town of Grottaglie, which is located not far away from Bari. This town is famous for its excellent products made of ceramics. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

There is a museum called Museo Nicolaiano, which is also dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It is located near Basilica San Nicola, and among its exhibits you can find parchments, emblems, manuscripts, paintings, icons and sculptures (much of this is dated to the 1st century BC). There is also a monument to the saint in the city, and in principle, every street seems to be reminiscent of him. Among other interesting museums is Pinacoteca Corrado Giaquinto, where countless works of art by Italian masters are presented. There is even a hotel section with “predep”, Christmas compositions depicting the scene of the birth of Christ. Also interesting is Museo Diocesano, which presents jewelry and archaeological finds.

Teatro Margherita is a very interesting building in terms of archeology. The theater is notable given that it is located on the water. The building was erected at the beginning of the 20th century, and its construction is connected with an interesting history. The moral of the story is that there is always circumvention, no matter what the contract is. Any local will tell you about the story, you just have to ask. You should definitely walk along the longest embankment in all of Italy (its length is 15 km) called Lungomare e Murat. It was built in 1927, and is named after the Neapolitan king, who served under Napoleon. Along the way you will come across wonderful villas and great panoramas.

Porto Vecchio is another great place for walks. In addition to seeing the ships scurrying back and forth, this is also an interesting place to observe landscape views and feel the smell of the sea. You should enjoy the views here and one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. We are talking about Palazzo dell’Acquedotto Pugliese. The building was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century and is an excellent example of Italian architecture. Of the remarkable works of art here, you will find interesting frescoes, sculptures, paintings, painted walls.

Also worth visiting is a cemetery where the dead were buried during the Second World War. This is a place where you can embrace the atmosphere and feel conflicting emotions, as well as sit in the shade after visiting the cemetery. When talking about such places, Il Succorpo della Cattedrale di San Sabino is also worth a visit. This is an archaeological site where an amazingly beautiful mosaic floor bearing the inscription 1st century AD was found. If you wish to get in touch with antiquity, then this is just what you need.