Bari is one of the largest commercial, economic and cultural cities of Southern Italy.

It features a historic centre abounding in history, culture and Christian tradition exemplified by: the Basilica of S. Nicola, which attracts  thousands of pilgrims each year in the name of the world’s most venerated saint (because he is also present in Orthodox culture) and represents one of the most splendid examples of Romanesque architecture; it served as the model for many cathedrals that were built all over Puglia; the Cathedral of S. Sabino, a splendid Romanesque church that holds the mummy (which can be viewed) of Saint Colomba; Castello Svevo, with its majestic mass and the picturesque inner courtyard.

The 19th century turn was more recently built but is equally interesting. In the first half of the 18th century the Bourbons recognised the need to build a new town to expand the city suffocating within the small circle of walls. Various projects were undertaken, but only in Napoleonic times, with Gioacchino Murat, was it possible to law the first stone for the construction of the new district. The area, known as the Borgo Murattiano, is today the city’s economic and commercial centre and has a typically 19th century layout, with straight streets intersecting one another in checkerboard fashion.

Bari’s complex urban structure includes not only the historic centre and the Borgo Murattiano but the modern city with its residential neighbourhoods, which developed surprisingly quickly beginning in the 1950’s and 60’s, the years of the economic boom.

Suggested itinerary
Old City: Castello Svevo – Cathedral of S. Sabino - Basilica of S. Nicola – Church of S. Gregorio
New city: Archaeological Museum – Teatro Petruzzelli

Distance from the Hotel
The Hotel is in the centre.

How to get there
The historic centre and the more recent Borgo Murattiano are both adjacent to the Hotel, so a pleasant stroll will allow you to visit them in their entirety.

Trade shows and events
March: Expolevante (tourism and leisure show)
May: Festival of S. Nicola
September: Fiera del Levante (international trade show)