is the capital of the
Province Of Bari and of the
Apulia (or Puglia) region, on the
Adriatic Sea , in Italy.
It is the second economic centre of southern Italy and is well known as a port and university city, as well as "the city of Santa Klaus".
The city itself has a decreasing population of 328,458 (2001) along 116 sq. km, while the fast-growing urban area counts 700.000 inhabitants along 203 sq. Km. Another 500.000 people live in the metro area.
Bari consists of four different parts: the closely built old town on the peninsula to the north, with the splendid Basilica of
San Nicola (Saint Nicholas), the Cathedral of San Sabino (
1035 -
1171 ) and the Swabian castle, is now also one of the major nightlife districts; the Murattiano town to the south (with its stunning promenade on the sea), major shopping district (with the famous Via Sparano and Via Argiro) and heart of the city, which is laid out on a rectangular plan; the more modern city surrounding this, as the result of chaotic development during the '60s and '70s; the suburbs in rapid devolepment during the 1990s.
-- the old Latin name for Bari (Greek name was '''Barion''') -- does not seem to have been a place of great importance in early antiquity; only
Bronze coins struck by it have been found. In
Roman times it was the point of junction between the coast road and the
Via Traiana ; there was also a branch road to
Tarentum from Barium. Its harbour, mentioned as early as
181 BC , was probably the principal one of the district in ancient times, as at present, and was the centre of a fishery.
Bari was put on the political map of the region in
852 when it became a center of
Saracen power. The first emir of the area was Swadan and in
885 it became the residence of the local
Byzantine governor. In
1071 it was captured by
Robert Guiscard . In
1095 Peter The Hermit preached the
First Crusade there. In
1156 it was razed to the ground, and was subsequently destroyed several times.
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The Basilica of
San Nicola (Saint Nicholas) was founded in
1087 to receive the relics of this saint, which were brought from
Myra in
Lycia , and now lie beneath the
Altar in the
Crypt . The church is one of the four Palatine churches of Apulia (the others being the
Cathedral s of
Acquaviva and
Altamura , and the church of
Monte Sant'Angelo sul Gargano.
Bari is a very homogenous city. However due to legal and illegal migrations, there has been an increasing presence of immigrants chiefly from
Albania , who also constitute the nation's largest and fastest growing minority.
- Italian : 98.1%
- Albanian: 0.4%
- Mauritian: 0.3%
- Greek: 0.2%
- Chinese: 0.1%
Other tiny groups consist of British, Filipinos, and Ethiopians.
