For our stay in Bari, we choose a quiet little four room B&B (Bed and Breakfast Oz.) about a ten to fifteen minute walk from the heart of "old Bari". After 24 hours of airports, train stations and taxis we were certainly in desperate need of a good nights sleep. Deciding to walk a few buildings down to grab a pizza and settle into our room for the night was the perfect decision. A short 12 hour nap later we started out on our first full day in Bari.
With a Street Food Tour scheduled for the first night, we thought a walk into "old Bari" was a great way to start the first day of our trip. When traveling, we like to leave a lot of free time when visiting a new area to just wander, explore and ultimately visit whatever catches our attention along the way...
Our first stop for the morning was at the Basilica Cattedrale also know as the Cathedral of San Sabino. The current Cathedral was built between the late 12th and the late 13th century. In 1156 the Imperial Byzantine church (a medieval style church) was destroyed by William the I of Sicily. It was on this land that the Cathedral began construction just 100 years later. While the cathedral itself is a very nice and well kept church, it is what lies beneath its floors that make it a must visit!! For just a couple of Euro you must visit the "Crypta" -- Certainly one of the more fascinating things to see when in Bari! This "Crypta" sits beneath the Cathedral of San Sabino and give some amazing insight into the history of an ancient church that was on this location and predates the Imperial Byzantine. The ancient church sits just slightly off alignment with the modern day structure but clearly had 3 naves, a burial and worship area for the people of that time. In one amazing area of the ancient church there remains a large room with a very well preserved mosaic floor. Based upon an inscription in the mosaic tile this large section of floor is believed to be from the VI century and is commonly known as "Mosaico di Timoteo".. Aside from Timoteo's Mosaic Floor, you can also find structural ruins from The Medieval Cathedral that was built upon this site in 1034 and destroyed in 1156 and even remnants of a Roman Road in the same orientation as the ancient church. This adventure beneath the church was certainly a highlight of our mornings adventure in Bari.
Just a short walk from the Basilica we were drawn to the Castello Svevo di Bari. This fortress sits just on the edge of "old Bari" and is commonly known as the Norman-Swabian Castle of Bari. With the fortress dating back to 1132 it has seen many restorations and served many uses in its 1000 year history. It has been a fortress, a private residence, a prison and barracks and most recently a museum that is managed by the Regional Directorate of Museums of Puglia. This museum consists of several different sections each housing unique exhibits of Italian, and more specifically the Apulian Region's, history. Ellouise enjoyed the exhibit filled with pottery and artifacts recovered from numerous archeological sites in southern Italy; however, I found the museum of religious plaster casts much more fascinating. All of the plaster casts were made from the stone carvings found in the region's many churches and religious locations. Usually the original stone masterpieces are high above the ground or located in areas hard for the average tourist to see in detail. The ability to see this pieces up close made this exhibit all the more interesting. You can truly appreciate the time and artistic talent that must have went into carving just one of these pieces from solid stone. Imagine the labor involved in building even just the average cathedral when they contain 1000's of stone pieces just like these plaster copies!
Setting aside both mine and Ellouise's thoughts on the two main exhibits, the can't miss exhibit is a sound and light show that takes place in one of the long wings of the old fortress. Upon entering the grand hall from one end you are immediately surrounded by multiple projectors playing videos about the life in ancient Puglia on the floors and walls. As your work your way towards the other end of the hall there are more video scenes of different times and aspects of life. This experience was almost surreal - between the life like video, the old castle surrounding and the immersive sound track playing in the background you could really "feel" the history. Words and video do not capture how unique this exhibit really is -- you just have to experience it!!
After spending several hours in these two locations, we enjoyed a few other quick stops for the morning and a wonderful walk along the sea side before returning to our B&B in order to relax before our Street Food Tour...
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