Day trips around Bari: Vooolareee!! oh!! oh!!

Ever wanted to know where that famous Volareee Oh Oh, Cantareee, Oh Oh Oh Oh song was written? And the answer is Polignano... (30 minutes South of Bari). YES, it's beautiful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4IjJav7xbg
(you'll hear it when clicking on the title)

And guess what... hidden under those grottoes you can find exquisite restaurants! Check this out: http://www.grottapalazzese.it/it/home/

Day-trips around Bari: (5) Giovinazzo - Molfetta - Trani

Among the most astonishing places in Puglia, these three cities are located on the cliffs of the beautiful Adriatic sea in the Northern part of the Province of Bari.

Giovinazzo (left) is Antonia's favourite place in the world.

Originally a Roman fortification, during the centuries Giovinazzo has slowly grown around the fishing activity. The historic centre just around the port area preserves beautiful palaces from the XII to the XVII centuries. A walk through the narrow streets down to the port shore is a must during a warm Winter afternoon. Just on the opposite site of the scene of this photograph is the lovely pizzeria "Il localetto", best pizza in Puglia.

One last curiosity: American actor John Turturro's father, Nicholas Turturro, immigrated to the United States from Giovinazzo in the first half of the 20th century.

Still heading North, you'll enter the beautiful city of Molfetta, native town of the dear and beloved friend Cristoforo, also known as San Cristobal de la Casa de Molfeta (pronounced with a close "o" elongated almost as a "u"and one "t").

The city is famous in the world for its beautiful Middle Age Dome facing the port, the famous historic centre "Ind a la terr" and, of course, the Molfettesi population, millions of which are currently spread around the world but are still recognizable by their distinctive accent (... so to speak, or actually spEAk).

And if you are really in the mood to step back to about 1000 years ago, don't miss the interior of one of most beautiful example of Romanesque architecture, the St. Nicholas Cathedral of Trani (few kilometres North of Molfetta). From the square you can head towards the main street, usually crowded with little bars and restaurants. You want to stop for a taste of the famous local dessert wine, the Moscato di Trani, rigouroursly accompanied by almond pastries and sweets.

Day-trips around Bari: (4) Matera Sassi

Matera Sassi
(65 km, 40 mi from Bari)

The Murgia Materana is a slightly undulating, bleak limestone plateau with Mediterranean maquis and copse woods. Its most striking feature is the sudden appearance of a deep gorge (70/80 m, 230/260 ft), through which a torrent runs. This is the so-called “Gravina di Matera.” The walls of this gully – and other, smaller caves – have been home over thousands of years to various forms of civilisation. From the troglodyte villages of the Neolithic period to the diverse Eastern-style cave dwelling habitats of the 8th - 10th centuries or the fortified Norman/Swabian citadels (11th - 13th centuries). Not forgetting the usual Renaissance expansion during the 15th and 16th centuries, or the striking and unforeseeable changes to town layouts practised during the Baroque period (17th and 18th centuries).It all led to a complex town layout with buildings piled on top of one another and over any available spaces or holes, roads becoming rooftops and water collection perfected in a system of channels and reservoirs. Rural social customs found such a system ideal for their feelings of mutual aid. Such are the Sassi di Matera - the oldest part of town. A breathtaking town plan. The result of a centuries-long anthropomorphisation of the most inhospitable type of land anyone could hope never to find. This was the result of centuries of living in caves and then a more civilised type of town with its “European culture.”Between the 19th and 20th centuries, the Sassi districts underwent a slow decline, and were lived in by the poorest elements of society (16,000 in 1950). Frightful social and health conditions were the norm.These impossible conditions during the last century left people no choice but to go and live in the caves. Carlo Levi understood this well in his novel “Christ stopped at Eboli,” which shone a spotlight on the complete abandonment of the area, although he has never been back since.

Under the terms of the Transfer Planning Law of 1952, the Ministry of Public Works, Department of Agriculture and Forests and the Treasury Department ordered the eviction of residents in the Sassi, who were forcibly moved to specially built new homes in the suburbs. This dramatic solution to the terrible social and health conditions (but not to urban decay, which was to see Jerry-built housing increase) would later have its effects on society and the town’s own feelings of identity. The recovery of the ancient town and its identity was the main aim of the recovery programme in the Sassi district.This operation, both cultural and political, provided for a breath of life into the Sassi district of Matera in the 60’s and 70’s was based on the rich amalgam of ideas and suggestions which, in a more on-going European context, tended to bring city centres to the fore.
http://www.sassidimatera.it/

Day-trips around Bari: (3) Grottoes of Castellana

Grottoes of Castellana
(40 km, 25 mi from Bari)

40 Kms south-east of Bari, the busy, industrial and administrative capital of Apulia, lies the little town of Castellana whose origins go back even further than the 10th century. For a number of years now, the town has been called Castellana-Grotte and is the most important tourist attraction in Apulia, as well as one of the most famous in the whole of southern Italy. It owes its rapid and lucky notoriety to the discovery on January 23rd, 1938 of a vast system of natural underground caves. The Grottos of Castellana represent one of the most important series of natural underground caves in Italy and Europe, a reputation gained not only because of their size but above all for the spectacularity of the natural galleries and the prodigious wealth of crystalline concretions.
http://www.grottedicastellana.it/

Day-trips around Bari: (2) Alberobello and Trulli area

Alberobello and Trulli area
(56 km, 34 mi from Bari)

The Trullo is a characteristic peasant or artisan's house built using a unique and bold technique. It is built around a central plan with dry stone limestone walls, on top of which sits a conical-shaped roof. The walls are whitewashed; the conical roof which comes to a deft pinnacle, is covered with concentric and slanting rows of smooth, grey slabs of local stone, called "chiancarelle", which are put in place without the use of mortar. The Trulli can be found in the hills of the Murgia in an area where the provinces of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto meet. Here you can come across hospitable little towns with their whitewashed walls and charming vernacular architecture, bathed in history, tradition and natural attractions; places such as Castellana-Grotte, Conversano, Gioia del Colle, Locorotondo, Noci and Putignano in the Province of Bari; Martina franca in the Province of Taranto; Ceglie Messapico, Cisternino, Ostuni and Selva di Fasano in the Province of Brindisi. The most spectacular urban concentration of Trulli is to be found in Alberobello. In this small town, famous the world over, the Trulli are organized into districts. The fabulous Monti district boasts over 1000 Trulli set along picturesque, sloping streets, paved in the local stone. The whole town maintains a dream-like quality, almost like something out of a fairy-tale, bathed in the limpid light of the Eastern Mediterranean that of Alberobello an enrolled only landscape in 1996, list UNESCO of the assets " Patrimony of the Humanity ".

NOTE: if you have some extra time, don't miss the nearby cities of Locorotondo, famous for its wine, Conversano and Martina Franca, known for their beautiful baroque architecture.

Day-trips around Bari: (1) Castel del Monte

Castel del Monte
(57 km, 35 mi from Bari)

This unique medieval manor house stands on top of a hill in the Apulian Murgia, 540 metres above sea level and 18 kms from Andria. Castel del Monte was built in the first half of 1200 for Frederick II of Swabia, Roman Emperor and King of Sicily and Apulia, to serve as a manor house and hunting lodge. Various architectural elements and styles are harmoniously brought together in this one building: Classical, Renaissance, Romanesque, Gothic and Arabic. The monument reflects Frederick's cultural background; he was educated in Palermo where at the time three streams of culture flowed together: Roman, Arabic and Norman, permeated with italic influences. Castel del Monte ( named after the Benedictine church of Santa Maria del Monte which actually exists in that area) has a rich and varied history belonging to the period of the Reign of Naples. The castle, along with the town of Andria, was a part of the Royal State under the Swabians (1240-1266), the Angevins (1266-1443) and the Aragonese (1443-1503) who succeeded each other to the throne of Naples. The Castle and the town of Andria also became the vassals of the Del Balzos (1348-1502), the Cordovas (1503-1552) and the Carafas(1552-1799). It was from the latter that the Italian State managed to acquire the castle in 1876, declaring it a national monument.
http://www.casteldelmonte.beniculturali.it/

NOTE: if you have extra time, don't miss a visit to the very nice city of Ruvo located along the way to the Castle. The city is famous for its Primitivo wine, known as "Ruvo's 13 degrees", as a reference to its (very high) alcohol content.

Directions: work in progress

Wandering around Bari

In less than a century the area of Bari has increased more than tenfold. Its population has grown from 34.000 in 1861 to 400.000 today. Today Bari is the main city in the Italian region of Puglia (Apulia in English).

A long, straight road, the wide and well-lit Corso Vittorio Emanuele, divides the city into two distinct parts as if drawing the boundaries between two different periods in history. The memory of the courage of Medieval sailors lives on today in the maze of alleys and courtyards that characterises the Old Town, which jealousy guards its renowned monuments. It stands in stark contrast to the industrious, dynamic, modern city , with its long, wide roads along which have risen the many buildings which bear testimony to the city's prodigious urban development.

Walking along a stretch of the Imperatore Augusto Promenade we come to the Basilica of St. Nicholas. This is one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in Apulia. The building of the Basilica was commissioned by Abbot Elia in 1087 to preserve the remains of St. Nicholas and was finished in 1197.

Continuing along the Imperatore Augusto Promenade and then taking the Corso Senatore De Tullio we come to Castello Svevo, built by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II on the site of Norman ruins; the internal plan of the castle and the two massive angular towers reflect the influence of Norman architecture. It housed the magnificent court of Isabelle of Aragon e Bona Sforza, who had the large bulwarks with angular spear-shaped towers built in 1500, overlooking the moat. Walking down a medieval alleyway you come to the Cathedral, an excellent example of 12th century Romanesque Apulian architecture. Other churches of historical and artistic interest in the Old town are the Convent of St. Benedict; St. Mark's; St. Augustine's; the Vallisa; and the Church of Jesus. The Archway of Marvels and Nicolo' Puccini's house are also worth visiting. Going back towards the Castle and from Piazza Isabella D'Aragona, home to the Revenue Office, we can just see Corso Vittorio Veneto, at the very end of which stands the Fiera del levante, which in the wake of Bari's mercantile tradition, today represents a measure of the powerful economic and industrial development of the South.

In Corso Vittorio Emanuele you can see the monument dedicated to Nicolo' Puccini and the Town hall. From here we can see Piazza Mercantile, with its "Sedile", the ancient seat of Bari's Council of Nobles, and the Column of Justice (on the left), to which in the Middle Age fraudulent debtors used to be tied as punishment. We can now get back onto the Nazario Sauro Promenade for a wonderful walk along the sea front. Immediately to the left is St. Nicholas' Pier where, every year on the morning of May 8th an important ceremony is held and the statue of the saint is taken out to sea under the watchful eyes of devotees and pilgrims. Here it is also the typical cove of " 'nderre a la lanz’," popular place of seafood tasting.

Again from Corso Vittorio Emanuele you can go down Via Sparano and admire its luxurious and elegant shops. At the end of Via Sparano you come to the main University building and the Archaeological Museum, which amongst other things houses an impressive collection of finds, including Greek and Apulian vases. Here you can also admire the monument to King Umberto I, work of the sculptor Antonio Cifariello. The city's railway station is situated in Piazza Moro, with its monumental fountain built by the Apulian Waterworks.

(from http://www.pugliaturismo.com/)

About the church

The Basilica of St. Nicholas has no ecclesiastical origins. The structure existed already a century before (around the year 1000). At that time it was the residence of the governor of the byzantine (Greek) governor of Italy, called “Catepan”.
In 1071 Bari and all southern Italy were conquered by the Normans, who moved the capital city to Salerno and from 1130 to Palermo. Losing political importance and therefore commercial trading, people from Bari in 1087 organized an expedition to southern Asia Minor, bringing back to their city the relics of St Nicholas, an event that rapidly became known throughout Europe. As a church in his honour they dedicated this ancient Catepan’s palace. To this purpose they demolished other buildings and chapels, leaving in the area only the Church of St. Gregory (X century).
The Basilica of St. Nicholas safeguards the Saint’s relics and stands imposing in the Old Town of Bari overlooking the Adriatic Sea. It is within a five-minute walk from the Harbour and fifteen from the Central Railway Station. The Romanesque architecture of the Basilica is characterized by a massive, masonry-wall construction and a sombre, austere style. It is worth remembering that the church was built on what was previously the residence of the Byzantine Governor (Catepan’s Court) and, thus, much of the pre-existing building materials were re-utilized. For this reason, it has been difficult for even accredited art historians to agree on the building phases. In any case, the wall structure, which is somewhat irregular (the north side is about 2 metres longer than the south side), can be attributed to the Abbot Elias (+1105 A.D.), whilst the decorations are prevalently attributable to his successor, the Abbot Eustatius (+1123 A.D.). The sculptures are true works of art and it is believed that the three classical pieces, that is, the Bishop’s Throne of the Abbot Elias, the Lions’ Portal and the Ciborium with its capitals, may have been commenced by Elias and completed by Eustatius.

Main events:

1087. may 9. Three ships arrived in the port of Bari with the relics of St. Nicholas taken in Myra (Asia Minor, today Turkey)

1089. Oct. 1: Consecration of the Crypt. Pope Urban II puts the relics under the main altar of the Crypt (underground church).

1096. October. With few exceptions, entered the church of St. Nicholas the most famous knights of the first Crusade (on the road to Jerusalem).

1098. October 3-10. A general council of 185 bishops was gathered and presided by pope Urban II, with St Anselm of Canterbury debating with Greek theologians denying the western addition (Filioque) to the Creed.

1156. June. The Basilica is the only church that king William the Bad saves, while destroying the entire city.

1197. June 22. Conrad, bishop of Hildesheim, chancellor of emperor Henry VI (son of Friedrich I Barbarossa), consecrated the Basilica, before the German army went to the Middle East for the Third Crusade.

1304. King Charles II of Anjou writes the Ecclesiastical Constitution of the Basilica. Only after 1929 the clergy of St. Nicholas fell again under pope’s jurisdiction.

(from www.basilicasannicola.it , info also available in French, Spanish, Russian and Greek)