CENTRO STORICO & BORGO MURATTIANO

Centro storico. A stroll through the narrow streets of old Bari, with its arches, courtyards and churches (more than a hundred of them) that have seen Lombards, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Spaniards, Austrians and French pass through. Don't hesitate to get lost in it!

In Piazza del Ferrarese you can admire the small Romanesque church of La Vallisa (2nd century), then a stone's throw away you will find Palazzo del Sedile - seat of the town council in the 17th century - and the "colonna infame" or "colonna della giustizia" (justice), a large column at the top of which the Venetian lion is enthroned, which was erected at the end of the 15th century and used for the public punishment of people who did not pay their debts! A wall enveloped and defended the ancient heart of the city. Restored by the Spaniards, we follow its route along the Via Venezia. Above the flat roofs stand the two most beautiful monuments of Bari: the Cathedral (il Duomo) and the Basilica San Nicola. A must-see! To the right of the basilica, take a look at the Romanesque church of San Gregorio, with its bewitching charm. In the register of "Italian" images, via Arco Basso, which starts from the castle, is emblematic: there you can see women, sitting in the sun, making homemade pasta by hand, in the good ancestral tradition. You can buy them sachets of orecchiette to cook in the evening.

Borgo Murattiano. On the other side of Corso Vittorio Emanuele, between old Bari and the railway station, there is a 19th century district. It takes the form of a regular grid of streets, designed by Joachim Murat after he made the city the capital of the province, at the expense of Trani. The 'Murat' style is mainly defined by two-storey apartments, Pompeian red façades and fully decorated portals. Some interesting 19th century monuments are the Palazzo del Governo and, opposite, the neoclassical Nicolo Piccini Municipal Theatre. At the end of the Corso, towards the sea, the Teatro Margherita, in Liberty style. From here take the avenue perpendicular to Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Corso Cavour, where, a little further on the left, you will find the famous Petruzzelli Theatre, one of the most prestigious in Italy, destroyed by arson in 1991, but rebuilt in 2009.