In Bari - Apulia's capital city - they say: "If Paris
was by the sea, it would be like a small Bari". PugliaPresumption
or arrogance? No, just pride (for which these people are
famous, apart from their strong sense of humour). The pride
of living in a city that successfully blends art and deep
historic roots with a very modern spirit of business enterprise.
Traditionally the "land's end" that bridged Italy
with the worlds of Greece and the Middle East, Bari enjoyed
its "golden age" during medieval times. The Cathedral
and Church of St. Nicholas with their Romanesque forms,
bear majestic witness to that period.
Traces
of the ancient trading and social contacts with the Greek
world can be seen in the Archaeological Museum. The blend
of history and art that characterizes the monuments
of Bari is reflected in many areas of Apulia, where you
will often discover cathedrals built during the medieval
era such as in Brindisi, Andria, Barletta, Trani, Ruvo di
Puglia, Lucera, Troia, Manfredonia, Otranto, and Gallipoli.
Belonging to another era yet equally precious and extraordinary
is the flourishing of the baroque architecture in the town
of Lecce. In Taranto, the Archaeological Museum has sections
of the more remote past. And Alberobello, in the province
of Bari, is the capital of the Trulli, singular domains
dating back to pre-history no less. As to nature's wonders,
Apulia offers an extraordinary intermingling of mountains,
woods and uncontaminated sea, for which the promontory of
the Gargano in the province of Foggia is so well renowned.
Puglia
- some links to this region: