Bed and breakfast accommodation in Bari Monasteries

Puglia’s answer to Naples, historic Bari is the largest town on the long heel of Italy’s boot and a major ferry port. The modern city, dating from the early 1800s, is well-heeled and smart, with luxury shopping along its straight avenues and seafront promenade, but the main sights lie in and around the compelling warren of alleys and courtyards of the old town.  

The Basilica di San Nicola, named for the original Santa Claus, is Bari’s main sight, built between 1087 – 1180 and the stunning prototype for many of Puglia’s Romanesque churches. Nearby is the austere Cattedrale di San Sabino and the massive 13th-century bulk of the Castello Svevo, while the Museo Archeologico has some fine Greek vases.

In its earliest history, Bari was occupied by first the Greeks and then the Romans, who brought with them their own pantheons of pagan gods and goddesses.  Twenty years of Muslim rule in the 9th century bought its citizens briefly into the world of Islam, before reverting to Christianity as part of the of Byzantine Empire. In 1071 Bari was captured by the Sicilian Norman king Robert Guiscard, and the stability brought by the Normans enabled the city’s development as a major slave port. It was under Norman rule that the Basilica was built in 1087 to house the relics of San Nicola, which had been smuggled from Myra in Lycia. This Byzantine saint was rapidly transformed into San Nicola di Bari, forever associated with his legendary and secret gift giving. This reputation made it an easy step for the saint to become Santa Claus, patron of children and the bringer of Christmas treats. The city of Bari was sacked on several occasions, finally becoming part of the Kingdom of Naples, and thus joining mainstream Italian history, in the early 16th century.