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Terra di Bari and Murgia
Murge are composed of rectangular-shaped calcareous tableland marked by the Ofanto river, the 'Messapi threshold', Basilicata and Adriatic Sea. Murge territory is partially protected through the homonymous park. It encloses an astonishing variety of landscapes: caves, sanctuaries, defensive strongholds, churches and rock settlements, small towns and big cities.
Coastal cities such as Bari, Mola, Polignano offer tourists a right mix of limpid waters, beautiful beaches and an extremely wide historic as well as artistic panorama.
On the contrary, in the northern part of the region Andria and Altamura attract tourists with their history and rich food heritage. ↑Top

The Adriatic Coast of Bari territory is characterized by several cities overlooking the coast with their medieval centers. Apulian capital stands ashore with its Castle, close to smaller cities which allow spending beautiful, relaxing vacations at close touch with history
Northern Murge are characterized by evocative Medieval towns, small fortified villages where that defended populations during invasions. Andria is famous for Castel del Monte, with its classical octagonal layout, built by Frederick II as hunting manor. Altamura makes a bread that puts together the fragrance of wheat and color of the Apulian sun

Bari (source:  Visual Puglia )
The chief town of the Region is between the provinces of Foggia and Brindisi. The plains stretch almost entirely along the coast and only briefly touch upon the Murgia Barese. The town is in the shape of a bird with open wings, whose head forms the nucleus of Bari Vecchia, the old town. Bari was annexed to the Roman Empire in the third century before Christ and over the ages was an Arab Emirate and conquered by Longobards, Bizantines and Saracens. Once the base of the Roman Empire’s fleet for the Orient, the urban structure of the old town is arranged around the catapan court. After the remains of Saint Nicholas were stolen and the homonymous Basilica was built, Bari became a major centre of Christianity and a convenient place the Crusades could leave from and return to from the Orient.
Ruled by Normans, Angevins, Aragons and the Spanish, the town first expanded outside of the old one in 1813 when work started on the new town.
Important monuments in town include the Basilica of San Nicola, housing the remains of the patron saint, the Romanesque basilica of San Gregorio, the Cathedral of San Sabino and Bari’s Norman-Swabian Castle, built on the orders of Frederick II for purposes of defence. Places not to be missed in the old part of town are the piazza Mercantile and the Colonna infame, once used as a pillory for insolvent debtors. More modern buildings also worth a visit are Teatro Petruzzelli, Teatro Margherita, Palazzo Fizzarotti and the library of Santa Teresa dei Maschi. There are also many churches on the reefs and hypogeums cut out of the rock and subsoil.
These include: the church on the reefs of Saint Candida, the temple of Saint George and the hypogeum of Madio Diana, the “Jewish” hypogeum. Museums worth a visit: the Archaeology Museum, the Provincial picture gallery, the Civic History museum and the Botanical Gardens Institute.
Definitely worthy of mention are the historic districts, the so-called “Old Bari”, surrounded by the majestic Lungomare Imperatore Augusto – or Emperor Augustus seafront - and the splendid Piazza del Ferrarese. The views from behind the port are lovely, including the characteristic Piazza San Pietro, the monastery of Santa Scolastica, the buildings of the archconfraternity of San Luca and the Svevo Castle.
Important events include the festivities of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of the town, between the 7th and 9th of May, and the exhibitions at the Levante Fair in the building constructed in the 1930s.
Basilica of St Nicholas has a basilica-style structure with three naves and a continual transcept ending in three apses of simple Benedictine design. The transcept consists of an enormous tripartite chamber with two transverse arcades showing the cross and connected by arches on top of which a cupola should rise but was never built. The gallery originally designed for women, however, is of Nordic derivation, the first of its kind to appear in Puglia. The inside of the Basilica is made especially attractive by the numerous supporting capitals, designed as truncated pyramids and decorated on all four sides. These are reminiscent of Byzantine designs, enlivened by figurative decorations and capitals in the shape of washbowls which bear motifs and forms of classical matrix with other markings of Anglo-Norman miniatures.
Beneath the internal transcept is the crypt, composed of thirty six bays covered with cross-shaped vaults supported on capitals - some of which are unadorned, Byzantine or late Medieval although most date back to the 11th century – with various decorative motifs, both anonymous and figurative. In the presbytery, a stone altar preserves the relics and has, for centuries, oozed manna; a liquid still distribted in ampollas to the devout. The entire holy building is paved with an opus sectile mosaic in Byzantine style with geometric motifs.
The outside of the structure has a solid, compact appearance with apses enclosed within a masonry curtain. The façade is flanked by two towers connected to the wings of the transcept by a continual series of great arches. The decoration of the portals stands out, as does the vestibule set on columns supported by stone griffins.
The building we see today is the fruit of a series of restoration campaigns between 1928 and 1956. The monumental carved wood and gold ceiling bears witness to the Baroque phase, with paintings by Carlo Rosa depicting Scenes from the life and miracles of the Saint.
Norman-Swabian Castle of Bari  was built by the Normans in the XII century and restored by Frederick II between 1233 and 1240. The castle, located in a central area of the chief town in Puglia, is a spectacular testimony to medieval construction that offers tourists the chance to visit one of the most interesting fortresses in the region. You can admire the stone bridge which leads to the castle, the corner embankments used to defend the fortress and the numerous towers that characterise this quadrangle structure: the Minorenni tower, Monaco tower, Vento tower and Semaforo tower. Today, the castle the headquarters of the Superintendency for Environmental, Architectural and Historical Heritage in Puglia and it also hosts a Gallery of Plaster Casts. ↑Top

Castellana Grotte (source:  Visual Puglia )
Castellana stands 290 meters above sea level in Bari province inland, on the edge of a closed karstic hollow. Historical sources testify the presence of a urban settlement known as Castellano back during the X Century. The village was abandoned in 1310, when the population moved to the area where Castellana rises today.
The town was donated by Norman Count Goffredo to the Benedictine convent of Conversano, under which civil and religious dominion Castellana remained until 1400s. Acquired by the Orsini family, Castellana was eventually given as a dowry to Giovanni Antonio Orsini’s daughter, who married a member of the Acquaviva family. The city was thus subject to such family until 1806.
During XVI Century the city experienced a significant democratic development thanks to the arrival of a constant flow of immigrants. The agrarian transformation started in the XVII Century contributed to the creation of a peasant class, and laid the foundations for an economic development based on land exploitation, with the cultivation of vineyards and olives. The De Bellis family - owner of a textile industry and a wine-producing business – has had a significant role for Castellana economic and cultural life during the last Century.

Alberobello (source:  Visual Puglia )
Alberobello stands to the southern part of Bari province, near Castellana Grotte, Locorotondo and Putignano. The town was founded in the 15th century by Acquaviva-D’Aragona, two counts of Conversano, on land that was originally an oak forest. A typical feature of Alberobello are the trulli, white dry-stone houses with conical roofs made of lapidary stones. Inside, the trulli have a square central room communicating with the other rooms of the house via arches.
Many trulli in Alberobello can be visited and the tallest trullo in the area, Trullo Sovrano, is on two floors and houses a museum. The roofs of the trulli are embellished with decorations and pinnacles of various shapes, often symbolising religious signs or signs of the zodiac. In 1996 the city of Alberobello, the heart of the Murgia dei Trulli, was declared a Heritage of Humanity site by UNESCO.
The most typical parts of the town include the Monti district, comprising 1030 trulli on a hillside; it has some of the oldest buildings still preserving the original features of construction. There is also Aia piccola, with its highly impressive network of narrow and tortuous alleyways. The ‘Monti’ district holds the trulli siamesi, all within one enclosure and each of a double shape, with a low hearth and no windows. The history of these trulli is connected to the eternal battle between love and hate.
Another place of note is the church of San Antonio, in the shape of a trullo, commissioned to repel the approach of infedels. Preceded by a monumental entrance, the main room is in the form of a Greek cross and the lateral chapels are veil-shaped.
The casa dell’amore (the ‘house of love’), built in 1797, is the current base of the tourism office and is the first building in the town to have been made of limestone, as testified in the inscription by the door.
Another place worth a visit is the Basilica minore dei Santi Medici, housing pictures of Madonna di Loreto and the twin saints Cosma and Damiano. The town’s patron saints are celebrated on the 27th and 28th of September, when the faithful enter a frenzy adoring the sacred pictures kept in the church. ↑Top

Altamura (source:  Visual Puglia )
Altamura stands in Bari province inlands, very close to Basilicata. Fossil finds, some of which were veritably extraordinary like Altamura man, witness the presence of human settlements in this area 400,000 years before Christ. In 500 b.C. the megalithic walls after which the city was named (Altamura means ’High Walls’) were built. The town was subject to a long period of different dominations concluded by the arrival of Frederick II (1232), who gave a fresh impetus to the city by building a Cathedral and repopulating it with Arab, Greek and Jewish populations. In that period, the city was given its characteristic layout made of “claustri”, small squares surrounded by alleys. Subsequently, Altamura underwent several dominions among which the Orsini family, who built mansions and convents.
In 1531, Altamura inhabitants undertake to pay 20,000 ducats to set their own city free. This act and a brave behavior earned Altamura the name of “Italian Lioness”. The city experienced a particularly positive period between 1500 and 1700. In 1748, the establishment of a University contributed to spread the equality and freedom ideals promoted by French Revolution. Due to this new rebellion, the city was besieged and sacked by the Vatican army in 1799. During the following years, Altamura hosted the Corte of Appeal of Bari territory and the see of Apulian provisional government.
The Sanctuary of Madonna del buon cammino is a very evocative spiritual place: standing on the road once leading to Bari, it was a refugee for wayfarers and a place of worship to stop by and pray.
Altamura National Archeological Museum also is very interesting. It is composed of 4 sections: Prehistoric, Archaic, Classic and Hellenistic, late Middle Ages. It hosts several finds from Lamalunga cave, where a 250,000 year-old human fossil known as Altamura man was also found. Dinosaur footprints aged about 70 million years were found in a cave four kilometers away from the town. This area is accessible subject to a previous agreement with people in charge of Altamura National Archeological Museum.
Anybody visiting Altamura will take away the memory, taste and fragrance of its PDO bread, so good that it is served as a standalone dish rather than a complement. There are several traditional recipes based on this ingredient tourists can taste in the many local restaurants. ↑Top

Ruvo di Puglia (source:  Visual Puglia )
This important agricultural center of Bari province rises 256 meters above sea level, close to Terlizzi. Its landscape shows olive groves and vineyards.
Ruvo has Peucete origins and reached its maximum development between the V and III Centuries b.C., as testified by the many coins and ceramics bearing its name. During the Empire age, Ruvo was an important Roman city which was destroyed by the Goths in the V Century.
Ruvo was rebuilt and fortified by the Normans, who included it in Conversano county. Starting from Angevin era, several feoffees owned the city. Among these, the most important were Dukes of Andria Carafa, from 1510 to 1806.
The Romanesque cathedral is undoubtedly valuable for its unique façade showing extremely slanted slopes which constitute an impetus for the whole building. Its twelve-radius rose windows – also known for its enigmatic 'sitting' sculpture in its upper part – is fascinating. According to the tradition, the sculpture represents Emperor Frederick II, who partially contributed to the construction.
The church of Purgatory also is very interesting. It keeps an important polyptyc portraying a Virgin with Child and Saints. The left aisle allows accessing the crypt of St.Cleto, a place devoted to the first bishop of Ruvo, who eventually became the third Pope.
Famous, huge Ruvo vases made of painted clay witness pre-Roman Apulian civilizations. They are kept in Jatta National Museum in a prestigious collection including more than 2,000 specimens. Ruvo also is a renowned center for producing table grapes, wine and olive oil.
Among the most interesting events taking place here, there is the Ottosanti (Eight Saints) procession during the Holy Week. Ottosanti is a single sculptural set carried by forty devotees in a solemn evening procession. ↑Top

Polignano a Mare (source:  Visual Puglia )
Polignano a Mare, birth city of the Italian singer Domenico Modugno, is situated approximately thirty kilometres from the main town of Puglia. Polignano a Mare is a town that rises out of the cliff face and, given its strategic position, has always been considered a doorway to the Mediterranean and the East, as well as an important junction and meeting point for a diverse range of cultures. Traces of the Arab, Byzantine, Spanish and Norman populations can be seen in the town planning of Polignano.
These days, the town is characterised by its crystal sea of varied hues, twelve kilometres of coast and numerous caves sculpted into the rocks: for this reason tourists have labelled this town the “Pearl of the Adriatic Sea”.
The seascape of the town is characterised by many small inlets and caves, easily accessible by boat and often linked with the basements of the houses built above. Of particular scientific interest is the untouched sea bed of this area that extends before the town and is the preferred destination for scuba diving and snorkelling enthusiasts.
One of the breathtaking aspects of Polignano is the wide natural terrace, from where one can take in the view of the historical centre of the village, while perched on a sheer drop to the sea. The fertile countryside of this area is testimony to the presence of ravines, carpeted in vegetation typical of the Mediterranean, and the presence of a large number of archaeological sites. There are many wonderful events to encounter in Polignano, a few examples of these are: the Festival of the Madonna del Carmelo, celebrated from the 15th to 17th July, the Festival of Santi Cosma and Davide that is held 13th August with a procession of the devoted and the Festival of Christ held on 17th September, during which the Holy Cross is carried in procession by the contradas of the town. ↑Top

Conversano (source:  Visual Puglia )
Conversano is in the province of Bari and is around thirty kilometres from the chief town. The country town was originally called Norba and its roots stretch as far back as the iron age when it was inhabited by Peucets and Japigians.Rich in archeological finds, Norba was part of the Roman Empire during its evolution, decline and fall, and up to the barbarian invasions. Norba was refounded by the Normans under the name of Cupersani, to become an important country town at the centre of the county which stretches from Brindisi to Lecce and Polignano.
In 1422, after several dominions, the county was under the Orsini and then the Aragons who ruled for around 4 centuries. One of the many Aragon rulers still told about in legends was Girolamo II of Aragon, known locally as Guercio delle Puglie, who ruled the county for around forty years until 1645, imposing a variety of vexations on the people, including the “jus primae nocti”. More recently, in 1886, Conversano town hall was set fire to by the people, angered by the constant vexations they’d had to suffer at the hands of the local wicked squires.
The town offers its visitors interesting and particularly impressive sights, such as the Cathedral Basilica, started by the Normans in the 11th century and then developed in 1359, in Puglian Romanic style, housing among other things a curious wooden crucifix. Not to be missed is the Aragon Castle, started by the Norman Goffredo of Altavilla and remarkable for its trapezoidal layout. Outside the town is Marchione Castle, the hunting abode for Acquaviva of Aragon, used only for hunting purposes and built near a large and thick wood, of which now remains only one oak tree.
The Lakes are also worth a visit: ten Karstic depressions at the feet of the hills that surround Conversano and that rainfall turns them into the same number of small lakes, home to a rich fauna of reptiles and anfibians.
Conversano has always been alive with culture, abounding in events, feasts and celebrations livening that take place in the evenings and at week-ends.
The Madonna della Fonte, the town’s patron saint, is celebrated on the third Sunday in May. Celebrations entail religious rites, a procession, fireworks and cultural activities. On the 17th of January is celebrated Sant’Antonio Abate, civilian festivities with the benediction of animals and a huge bonfire.
The festivity of Santa Rita and Saints Cosma and Damiano is celebrated on the first Sunday in October. There is a procession through town and the religious celebration is accompanied by a civilian festivity much enjoyed by the locals. ↑Top